In his latest book, Guruji and Social Harmony, Justice (retd.) Dr M. Rama Jois has in detail explained Shri Guruji'sconcept of social harmony and dispelled the mist of ignorance, misconception, misinformation and disinformation about the RSS.
Our present day problems stem from the word dharma having wrongly been translated as ?religion? in English. ?Dharma has been misunderstood and misinterpreted by the so-called secularists and they have been main work force behind anarchy and anti-national activities today?, says Dr Pranav Pandya of Gayatri Parivar in the foreword of the book.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, says the author in the preface, is ?the panacea for all problems arising out of disunity and moral degradation?. But the greatest misfortune of RSS and, perhaps, of the country has been that it has been criticised not by those who know the organisation from its depth but only by ignoramuses about its ideology and functioning. I would advise them to go through this book before saying or writing anything further about the RSS.
For Shri Guruji, dharma ?means rehabilitation of man'smind and adjustment of various individuals for a harmonious existence and for a good social order to hold people together?. For him dharma was ?the basis for establishing of social harmony and happiness?, its ?sole objective and purpose?. The writer puts dharma in three categories: samanya dharma (general code of righteous conduct for all individuals), vyavahara dharma (civil and criminal laws to be obeyed by individuals) and Raj dharma or the constitutional law regulating executive and judicial power of the State.
Manu puts in brief ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truthfulness), asateya (not acquiring illegitimate wealth), shoucham (purity) and indriyanigraha (control of senses) the common dharma for all the four varnas.
Without feeling apologetic for varna and caste system ?as a solution to social and economic problems? in those times, Shri Guruji enunciated the concept of samajik samarasta: ?As the older, dried branches fall off a growing tree to give place to new ones, likewise, the society would shed varna vyavastha, the existing social structure at one time and give place for a new necessary one. This is a natural process of development for the Society.? He went further, ??.for the sake of construction of a new house, old house requires to be destroyed. Similarly, perturbed social system must be put to an end here and now.?
Regretting that ?the present day West has not been able to go beyond the motto of ?the greatest good of the greatest number??, Guruji said, ?We have never tolerated the ideal of a single human being, why, of even a single living organism ? being miserable. Total good of all beings has always been our glorious ideal?. Rigveda declares ?all human beings are equal and they are all brothers?.
Guruji'sconcept of samajik samarasta is routed in our vedic culture, philosophy and shastras. Atharvaveda declares: ?No one is superior or inferior. All are brothers. All should strive for the interest of all and should progress collectively.?
Shri Guruji was always in the forefront to banish untouchability. He called it as adharma having no sanction of Hindu dharma. In 1969, he prevailed upon Vishwa Hindu Sammelan in Udupi to pass a unanimous resolution to banish untouchability.
Dr Jois calls RSS ?an Open Field University of National Education? whose aims and ideology stand in complete harmony with the tenets of the letter and spirit of the Constitution. It is more secular than the self-proclaimed secularists. It makes no distinction between individuals on caste, region and religious considerations. On the other hand, many of our self-proclaimed ?secular? political parties flagrantly violate the word and spirit of the Constitution by openly championing the cause of some castes or religious communities at the cost of the other. They, regrettably, nominate individuals to contest elections solely on consideration of their caste and community.
Not anti-non-Hindus
Shri Guruji termed the propaganda that Sangh teaches hatred towards non-Hindus as ?one of the most irresponsible and despicable charges?. Alluding to ?the utter catholicity and tolerance of the Hindu culture? he said a Hindu ?even in his dreams cannot hate a person merely because he happens to belong to another faith?.
?The positive concept of social consolidation envisaged by Sangh has room for the Muslims and Christians of this country also. The Sangh harbours no hatred for anyone merely because he belongs to a different faith. The word ?Hindu? in Sangh'sview connotes the national entity of Bharat and not merely a religious faith. In this broad national sense, whoever identifies himself with this national life-current, irrespective of his creed, is a Hindu.?
That is true also. Secularism was alive in pre-and-post Partition India because Hindus are in majority. The areas which ceded to become Pakistan and later Bangladesh have lost secularism and become hard core fundamentalist where minorities stand eliminated.
This book must be avidly read by all, equally by those who believe in RSS ideology and by thosewho don?t, to clear many of their misgivings.
Dr Jois has worked hard to make the book informative, interesting and useful, much handful for those who may wish to undertake research on the subject. The book is a treatise on author'scommitment to nationalism and RSS ideology.
(Sri Guruji Janmashatabdi Samiti karnataka, C/o Rashtrotthan Mudranalaya,Keshav Shilpa, Kempegowda Nagar, Bangalore-19.)
