Enraged with the reportedly anti-farmer statement of RSS second-in-command, the farmers’ union have become so furious that they have even rebuked the RSS by stating – ‘the betrayer of freedom struggle, RSS has no right to question the patriotism of farmers.’
Vijoo Krishnan General Secretary and Dr Ashok Dhawale President of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), on March 18, referred that in the recently concluded Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at Nagpur, Dattatreya Hosabale, its General Secretary, has denigrated the ongoing farmers’ protests in Punjab and Haryana by terming them as anti-national. Citing media reports, wherein Hosabale, the second-in-command of the RSS, in his official General Secretary’s report, reportedly placed that “disruptive forces” are behind the farm protests. AIKS alleges that Hosabale also added that there are well orchestrated plans to spread “separatist terrorism” in Punjab under the guise of the farmers’ movement. “This canard spread by the betrayers of the freedom struggle is out of vengeance against the incessant SKM-led united movement of farmers which has forced the Narendra Modi-led BJP Government to withdraw the pro-corporate Farm Acts.”
Farmer unions unearthing the RSS history Roots
Unearthing the history of RSS, AIKS, a major body of farmers, divulges that various official inquiry commission reports have identified the nefarious role of the RSS in inciting communal riots. “This very reason led to its ban in 1948 after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination and in 1992 after the demolition of the Babri Masjid. The role played by the Sangh Parivar functionaries in the 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom as well as in the 2002 Gujarat genocide are well documented. AIKS calls upon all patriotic forces to isolate and expose fascistic elements led by the RSS who are spreading canards against the farmers’ movement.”
Criticizing RSS over its reportedly anti-farmer stand and statement, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS), a part of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has commented that it is of the firm opinion that the audacity demonstrated by Hosabale to demonise the farmers’ movement in general and the Punjab movement in particular is a loyal continuum of the RSS’ trajectory of collaborating with British imperialism and denigrating the greatest anti-imperialist martyrs like Bhagat Singh
AIKS alleges that when the entire country was on the streets condemning the hanging of Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, the RSS and other Hindutva outfits were busy denouncing them. The RSS which couldn’t produce a single freedom fighter worth the name opted to belittle the immense sacrifices of these revolutionaries as “failure”, as clearly demonstrated in Golwalkar’s “Bunch of Thoughts”.
AIKS has got outraged to note that the RSS has used the term “disruptive forces” to characterise the patriotic farmers of Punjab and Haryana who are fighting against the corporatisation of agriculture. AIKS alleges that the reality is that it is Hindutva terrorism that is acting as the most disruptive internal threat to the unity and diversity of the country. Hindutva fascistic politics is closely aligned with international finance capital and big business which is threatening Indian farmers. AIKS reminds that RSS should not forget its history of collusion with the imperialist forces and with imperialist agencies like the CIA. CIA Agent J A Curran, who enjoyed unusual access to the top brass of RSS from 1949 to 1951, in his book had identified RSS as a tool that would help the imperialist block led by the USA to contain the militant peasant and workers’ movement in independent India. By demonising the farmers’ movement against corporatisation, RSS is showing its support for imperialist forces in their project to devour Indian agriculture.
Haryana SKM has also sharply reacted to the RSS stand and criticised this stating the statement as highly disparaging and outrageous remarks by the RSS in Nagpur branding the farmers struggle of Punjab and Haryana of causing disruption.
SKM leader, Dr. Inderjeet Singh sharing a statement stated that the General Secretary of Rashtriya Pratinidhi Sabha of RSS has in his narrative accused that terrorism and separatism were raising their ‘ugly head’ under the garb of farmers movement in Punjab.
“While taking a very strong view of RSS insinuations in its bid to tarnish the image of the farmers struggle the SKM has recalled the treacherous role of RSS during freedom struggle as a result of that there is not a single freedom fighter in the ranks of BJP and RSS. True to their pro-British collaborationist historical legacy the BJP is still in alliance with the communal -corporate and corrupt nexus”, divulged Dr. Singh.
Haryana SKM has also called upon all farmers organisations and sections fighting for the defence of their livelihood to expose the real face of RSS among people and teach them a lesson to save the country.
Why the RSS in fray to attack farmers?
It is pertinent to remind that the farmers are on agitational path for not implementing the agreement with SKM dated 9.12.2021 regarding MSP@C2+50% with guaranteed procurement to all crops, Comprehensive Loan Waiver for farmers despite 1,00,474 farmers committed suicide (2014-2022), Rapid Privatisation of Electricity, Protecting the Ajay Mishra Teni, Union (MoS) Home Affairs- the Killer of Farmers at Lakhimpur Kheri, as alleged by farmers.
In its letter of Resolution issued at Ramlila Ground Mahapanchayat, on March 14, SKM has called a country wide mass protest against BJP under its slogan- ‘’EXPOSE, PROTEST, PUNISH BJP / BJP KA POLE KHOLO, VIRODH KARO, SAJAA DO’’ and Observe 23rd and March 24 as ‘Save Democracy Day’ in all villages to Protest BJP giving Kheri seat to the alleged killer of Lakhimpur Kheri farmers, Ajay Mishra Teni Union (MoS) Home and expose the Corporate-Criminal- Corrupt nexus under BJP.
Just after two days of farmers’ call, RSS has reportedly denigrated the ongoing farmers’ protests in Punjab and Haryana by terming them as anti-national.
But BJP leadership is keeping mum over the farmers agitational program. Then why did RSS react so sharply? Doesn’t it indicate that BJP has deployed its commanding RSS wing to counter the farmers’ attack on the party? Political analysts deduce that as BJP, being a political party, fears that attacking the farmers directly at this crucial junction, when the Lok Sabha election clouds are hovering over the country, may further enrage the farmer community and it can harm its vote share. However, how many votes the BJP will fetch, can’t be predicted at this time, because farmers remain farmers till they are in Delhi, as and when they come to their villages they convert into the village groups and vote as per their village politics forgetting what they have undertaken in Delhi. That is why, the farmer unions are keeping the iron hot through their regular agitational programs. How much they will succeed in retaining the farmers as farmers till they press the EVM button, which can oust the BJP from reigning the country. Let us see which way the wind blows.
Jag Mohan Thaken is a Senior Journalist, Columnist & Political Analyst, views are personal
