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Social Status Of Minorities And The Hindu Nation

By Nagesh Chaudhary

16 May, 2016
Countercurrents.org

M. S. Golwalkar, the second RSS chief, was the most revered ideologue who induced in RSS and combine’s other organs complexes of extra superiority. His views on minorities are vivid examples of this mindset in his book “We or Our nationhood Defined”(1939). In that book he denies even the citizen’s rights to the minorities. He equates them with enemy or calls them enemies. But, his views about their social status in the scheme of Hindu social order are not known so widely. The social status of the minorities in the minds of Hindu nationalists can be gauged from the views of Golwalkar because they are not individual views, they represent viewpoint of the entire RSS combine.

Golwalkar has instilled a sort of arrogance in the RSS cadres. During his tenure as RSS chief (1940-1973) the plan to murder Gandhi was hatched and he was one of the accused. The conspiracy to murder Gandhi was hatched by Hindu nationalists of different organisations.

The hatred towards Muslim was infused among the RSS cadres mainly by Golwalkar and among Hindu Sabha cadres by V. D. Savarkar. Both wrote books and articles against Muslims, Islam, and Christianity, Christians. Golwalkar’s book, “We or our Nationhood Defined” and Savarkar’s book, “Hindutva” had a lasting impact on the cadres and even in day to day dialogues in RSS daily Shakhas the hatred towards Muslim was evident. Gandhi was also hated in the Shakhas (daily gatherings) of the RSS and in their writings. Nathuram Godse, killer of Gandhi was follower both of Golwalkar and Savarkar. He was running/editing the journal named “Hindu Rashtra”

How Golwalkar attributes the lowest status to the minorities in his scheme of Hindu nation is evident from the following sermons he has given to the cadres in various parts of the country during his journey to spread the Hindu nation ideology.

i) Superiority of Brahmin peon over Non-Brahmin Officer:

In his book, “Vichar Navanit”, (Hindi translation of “Bunch of Thoughts”, p.135, Lokhit Prakashan, Rajendra Nagar, Lucknow-4, 1979) he has narrated the following story:

“There was an English officer somewhere in the South (India). His assistant officer was one Naidu. One day the English officer and his Brahmin peon were on their way to office. Assistant officer Naidu was coming from opposite direction. Naidu shook hands with the English officer. But, when he saw the Brahmin peon he took out his turban and fell flat into the feet of the peon – the Brahmin. Seeing this act of Naidu the English officer was aghast and asked Naidu, “You shook hands with me but fell flat on the feet of my peon. Why did you do so? Naidu replied, “Sir, you may be my superior officer but you are Mlenchha . He is peon but he is a person of our society whose class is being respected from many centuries. It is my duty to bow before him and respect him.”

Golwalkar comments, “That was the right thing the Deputy Collector had done. That shows how he was for superiority of Brahmin caste. Even if a Brahmin is inferior in ranking in administrative position, position in society is to be followed.

Prince of Wales (England) Untouchable?

ii) In a book, “Smriti Parijat” (in Hindi, Published by, Bharatiya Vichar Sadhana, Dr. Hedgewar Bhavan, Mahal, Nagpur, 1986) his memoirs are collected. The memoir dated 1st February 1969 was told to the RSS cadre. According to Golwalkar, Prince of Wales (England) visited Nagpur city (date not mentioned) and he wanted to visit a Rama temple in Ramtek town near Nagpur. The Prince was taken to temple with his officials. The priest of the temple came to know about this visit. He was very old and was furious because a non-Hindu was visiting and thereby polluting the deity. When the staff of the Prince came closer to the temple the priest warned them not to walk further. The staff members said the Prince was the Emperor’s son. The priest said, “He may be Prince or Emperor himself but as he is “Mlenchha” (foreigner) he cannot enter the temple. He can take a look of deity from the spot where you are standing. The low caste people of our society take Drashan - look from that distance only. If you try to enter by force you will have to walk over my dead body.”

This shows how the Prince was treated as ‘Shudra’ (lower caste) or untouchable in the Hindu temple. Golwalkar supports this behaviour of the priest.

Golwalkar remarked, the Prince returned back seeing the determination of the priest. He praises the act of the priest as he maintained the purity of the deity without caring for the authority.” (Smriti Parijat, p.170).

There is a recent case of 1980s. When Indira Gandhi, late Prime Minister, wanted to enter the temple to take Darshan of the deity of Jagannath temple at Puri in Odisha. She was denied entry in to the temple and was forced to go back by the priest.

iii) Mlenchhas below Shudras/lower castes:

In another memoir when he was touring Kerala (1969) he says, “We have committed a blunder by placing lower castes people below Christians and Muslims. In our four Varna division Mlenchhas were placed below Shudras.” He cites the example of a Professor of Sanskrit- Telang Shastri, (the name of college or year is not mentioned) who was serving in a college. Principal of the college was a Christian. Whenever the Principal used to come to the staff room the Sanskrit Professor used to leave the room. The Principal was upset by this insult. He asked the Professor why he behaved like that. The Professor replied, “See, you are a Mlenchha and in Hinduism you are lower than the lowest. I can sit with the Shudra but not with you - the Mlenchha” (op cit p.167-168).”

iv) Golwalkar was asked by the ex-minister of Madhya Pradesh, “did he want to dominate the Jan Sangha?” He replied, “I want to dominate the whole country.” (Hindu Sanghatan by-M.G. Vaidya p.13, pub. Bharatiya Vichar Sadhana, Dhantoli, Nagpur-440012, 1980)

v) “We, Hindus came into this land from nowhere, but are indigenous children of the soil always, from time immemorial and we are natural masters of the country.” (“We”...., M. S. Golwalkar, p.8)

vi) “Sangha is not only a form representing the Hindu Nation but is a model of Hindu Nation. It is because of this the whole land should belong to RSS. We should live here as masters and lead the happy and secure life.” (Shri Guruji Samagra Darshan, Bhag-1, p.108)

vii) B.G. Tilak in his book, ‘Arctic Home in the Vedas’ has proved that “the abode of Aryans was near the arctic zone, the north pole” and he also said that we the Aryans have come from the North Pole area. Golwalkar not only countered Tilak but said that his knowledge was inadequate. These are his exact words, “But it may be said Lok. Tilak propounded the Arctic origin of the Aryans. Quite so. We may agree with him that originally the Aryans i.e. the Hindus lived in the region of the North Pole. But he was not aware that in ancient times, the North Pole and with it the Arctic zone was not where it is today. .... The North Pole is not stationary and quite long ago it was in that part of the world, which, we find, is called Bihar and Orissa at the present; that it moved north east to that position. If this be so, did we leave the Arctic Zone and come to Hindustahan or were we all along here and the Arctic Zone left us and moved away northwards in its zigzag march?....The Arctic Zone in the Vedas was verily in Hindusthan itself and that it was not the Hindus who migrated to that land but the Arctic Zone which emigrated and left the Hindus in Hindusthan. (We or Our Nationhood Defined, p.8)

This shows how Golwalkar falsified Tilak and gave the North Pole’s migration a turn as he liked. Can Poles of the earth migrate in few thousand years? He has twisted the science for proving indigenous status of the Aryans.

Those not subscribing to Hindu Nation are aliens:

Golwalkar asserts- “At the outset we must bear in mind that so far as ‘nation’ is concerned, all those, who fall outside the fivefold limits of that idea, can have no place in the national life, unless they abandon their differences, adopt the religion, culture and language of the Nation and completely merge themselves in the National Race. So long, however, as they maintain their racial, religious and cultural differences, they cannot but be only foreigners.. “Further, he says, “Culturally, linguistically they must become one with the National race; they must adopt the past and entertain the aspirations for the future of the National Race; in short they must be “Naturalised” in the country by being assimilated in the Nation wholly.” (‘We...’p. 45-46)

This arrogance pertains not only to the minorities but, for those also who do not subscribe to the National race, its culture, religion, or language. He wants to tell to all others to shed aside all differences and merge in the so called National Race. It means the people should behave as the master race wants them to behave. In a way he is asking them to be slaves.

Brahmins as Gurus (Teachers) of the world?

Golwalkar says how Hindus i.e. Aryans are Gurus to the whole world. Says he, “There seems to be much evidence to show that Hindu culture had penetrated to the whole of the Southern archipelago, to Asia and probably America as well. ....all peoples followed Hindu religion and evolved Hindu culture and where any of these peoples had any doubt they came to Hindusthan, the cradle of Religion and Culture, to take their instructions. It is this fact which made the first and greatest law giver of the world-Manu, to lay down in his code, directing all the peoples of the world to come to Hindusthan to learn their duties at the holy feet of the “Eldest born” Brahmans of this land”. (“We or our Nationhood Defined ...” p. 55-56)

Here, arrogance of Golwalkar or leaders of the Hindu nationalists is clearly seen. Among so called majority Hindu population of India Brahmans claim superiority over all other non-Brahman castes. Not only that they arrogantly say they will be the Gurus of the whole world. Is it because Hindu Gurus are establishing their centres world over in the garb of teaching Yoga or Samadhis or spirituality? Beware, peoples!!

Hitler rule temporary but Hindu nation lasting phenomenon

Hitler’s Nazi rule did not last beyond his life span. Aryan ruling or hegemony is more than Hitler’s racial rule. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar very aptly compared Nazi and Brahmin rules. He says. “The Nazis had indeed a great deal to learn from the Hindus. If they had adopted the technique of suppressing the masses devised by the Hindus they would have been able to crush the Jews without open cruelty and would have also exhibited themselves as humane masters.” (Dr. B R , Ambedkar Writings and speeches, vol. 3, p.127, Govt. Of Maharshtra publication, Mumbai)

The RSS thoughts and actions are for maintaining the supremacy of one caste not only over Indian people but over even the people from foreign countries. Their arrogant claim of becoming ‘Guru’ of the world speaks of their mindset.

About author: Editor of Marathi fortnightly, "Bahujan Sangharsh" from Nagpur. He has written books in Marathi, Hindi & English.Some of his books are: RSS Parivar:Akramaktechi Rang Rupe, Hindutva:Desh Todnare Sootra, Jati vyavastha va Bharatiya Kranti, Golwalkar's Hindu Nation.An Analysis etc. He is involved in satyashodhak movement.





 



 

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