RSS aims to bridge north-south divide, focus on Manipur healing

The ruling BJP's ideological mentor organisation RSS on Friday termed the Manipur strife and the raging narratives around the north-south divide as its top concerns and said its cadres were engaged in fostering harmony on both fronts.

Noting that Manipur would take a long time to heal in the wake of wounds inflicted over the last 20 months, RSS joint general secretary, Manipur, CR Mukund said, "The RSS is concerned about Manipur. Since 20 months, Manipur is going through a very bad patch. But there is some hope today, as we have gone through the decisions of the central government, some of which are political and some are administrative, which have raised the hopes of the people. But as an organisation, we think it will take a long time for a natural atmosphere to be restored and wounds to heal."

Speaking to reporters about the three-day meeting of the RSS All India Pratinidhi Sabha, the highest decision-making body of the Sangh, which began in Bengaluru on Friday, Mukund said another concern for the RSS are the forces who are challenging national unity and are raising the north-south divide, whether it is about delimitation or about languages.

"Our cadres are trying their best to bring about harmony, especially in southern states. In Manipur, as a social organisation, our efforts are about bringing together the two ethnic groups, which are fighting among each other, and we are bringing together the leadership of both sides to sit together and talk. There are many issues to be resolved, politically. Some decisions are to be taken by the center. We are helping the people of Manipur by bringing communities together," he said.

The RSS official said the Sangh is in touch with the leaders of both communities and has held meetings with them in Imphal, Guwahati, and Delhi so that some harmony can be achieved.

"It is a very complex problem. RSS also helped people in relief camps, not only with food, but also with articles needed to run the household. There is some hope now that the President's rule has been imposed. Some things can be resolved, administratively. But it will take a very long time to heal the wounds that have been inflicted in these 20 months," the RSS leader added.

About the north-south divide, he said there are many aspects, most of which "are politically motivated." Mukund recalled Home Minister Amit Shah assuring the opposition that the next delimitation will be held on the basis of the ratio.

"For example, if some South Indian state has a certain number of seats in the Lok Sabha today, that ratio will be held as it is if the Lok Sabha is expanded," said Mukund, adding that the issue can be resolved harmoniously. He also said the RSS has always favoured preference for the mother tongue and has passed a resolution on that in the past.

He said in the three-language formula, the mother tongue is a must, and the other two languages are about individual choices. Mukund added that the RSS is today one crore cadre strong with inroads even in hitherto barren areas like Tamil Nadu, western Odisha, parts of Maharashtra.

"Since 10 years now, the RSS has not faced resistance to its work anywhere in the country. Our acceptance is growing. We have one crore cadre and 6 lakh active workers who attend shakhas daily," Mukund said.

He also said that the RSS today has 1,15,276 daily and weekly shakhas put together. Daily activities this year have gone up to 83,129 shakhas, which is 10,000 more than last year. Weekly activities are being held at 32,120 shakhas, which is 4,430 more than last year," he said, adding that in this centenary year of the RSS, expansion and consolidation of work were too focus.

The RSS top body will discuss expansion, programs for the centenary year over three days, and pass resolutions on the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh and the centenary of the Sangh, which was formed in Nagpur in 1925.