From economy to foreign policy, RSS hands list to PM

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 4

How to make the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh happy? That’s the question the Modi government faced today when the Prime Minister and his team landed at Madhyanchal Bhawan on the concluding day of the three-day coordination committee meeting. The PM returned with a list of RSS’ ‘how to do on what’ prescription, after presentations from some of his team members. 

At the end it of all, there appeared a message, suggesting someone in the extended Sangh parivar (including BJP) is thinking too much, but not all are thinking alike. 

For instance, senior Sangh leader Dattatreya Hosabale told the media that the RSS wasn’t ‘naraz’ with the government, and that it was on right track. But RSS and BJP sources said they had taken up with the government education, foreign policy, including India’s stance with Pakistan after the aborted NSA-level talks, J&K, Article 370, economic policies, Ram temple and the rising Muslim population. Not all in that order, though. Yet with some timelines, an RSS source said. 

On all these the RSS stance is well-known, so what’s that Modi & his team took back with it? Narazgi? “Not exactly, it was a samanvaya vaarta (coordination dialogue) where the BJP interfaced with its ideological mentor. We have heard them,” said a BJP leader.  Sources said the RSS believes ‘needless controversies’ have damaged the party’s image and positive steps are needed for a makeover.

The meeting also invited wide criticism from the opposition, which called it blatant interference in the government functioning. Hosabale rejected the criticism, saying it was RSS leaders’ right as citizens of the country to seek explanation from the government and offer suggestions. 

The sources said the RSS wanted the party to have clarity and direction on Ramjanmabhoomi before Uttar Pradesh goes to the Assembly elections around 2017. It also wanted discussions on Article 370 that grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The RSS leadership reportedly told the BJP that a countrywide debate should be initiated on Article 370. 

“The BJP should not be worried” about the fate of the state government it runs with the coalition partner the Peoples Democratic Party in J-K.

The RSS seemed specifically unhappy with “western models” being followed in devising economic and education policies of the country. It wants the government to go swadeshi on both fronts with home-grown, India-specific models. The sources said the RSS leadership raised concerns on commercialisation of the education system, warning that India could end up like “degree batne ki mandi like Russia”. Education should be cheap, affordable, available and based on India’s needs.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and HRD Minister Smriti Irani visited the Madhyanchal Bhawan to make presentations to the group of top RSS leaders led by sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat.