On July 9, the Narendra Modi-led Central Government lifted a decades-old ban on government employees associating with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and participating in its activities.
The office memorandum issued by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) reads: “The undersigned is directed to refer to the OM No.3/10(S)/66-Estt. (B) dated 30.11.1966, OM No. 7/4/70-Est. (B) dated 25.07.1970, and OM No. 15014/3(S)/80-Estt. (B) dated 28.10.1980 on the above subject. The aforesaid instructions have been reviewed, and it has been decided to remove the mention of Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (R.S.S.S) from the impugned OMs dated 30.11.1966, 25.07.1970, and 28.10.1980.”
Amit Malviya, head of the BJP IT cell, shared the July 9 order on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “The unconstitutional order issued 58 years ago, in 1966, imposing a ban on government employees taking part in the activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has been withdrawn by the Modi Government.” He added that the original order should never have been passed in the first place.
https://x.com/amitmalviya/status/1815222383843979765
Reacting to this, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh shared the purported order issued by the DoPT on July 9 on X, highlighting that the ban on government staff participating in RSS activities, in place since 1966, has been removed.
Jairam Ramesh said that the ban allegedly removed by the Modi government was in place even during former PM Atal Vihari Vajpayee’s rule. “Sardar Patel had banned the RSS in February 1948 following Gandhiji’s assassination. Subsequently, the ban was withdrawn on assurances of good behaviour. In 1966, a ban was imposed – and rightly so – on government employees taking part in RSS activities,” he said.
Interestingly, the Congress, which is now critical of the Modi Government’s decision to lift the ban, invited RSS swayamsewaks to the Republic Day Parade in 1963. The then Prime Minister, Pt. Nehru, was impressed with the services of Sangh swayamsewaks at the borders during the war with China in 1962 and invited them to the 1963 Republic Day parade to imbibe the spirit of nationalism.
Notably, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi unveiled the Vivekanand Rock Memorial in 1970 at the invitation of Eknath Ranade, the former RSS Sarkaryavah and the architect of the memorial.
Sunil Ambekar, Akhil Bhartiya Prachar Pramukh of RSS said, “The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has been continuously engaged in the reconstruction of the nation and the service of society for the past 99 years. Due to the RSS’s contributions in times of national security, unity-integrity, and natural disasters, the various types of leadership in the country have, from time to time, praised the role of the RSS”.
“Due to their political self-interests, the then-government unjustly prohibited government employees from participating in the activities of a constructive organisation like the RSS. The recent decision of the Government is appropriate and will strengthen the democratic system of Bharat.”, he added.
This move has been hailed by netizens, RSS Swayamsewaks and BJP supporters as a correction of historical wrongs.
Notably, it was Sadhu Singh, Secretary-General of Government Employees National Confederation, affiliated to the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), who wrote a letter in 2018 to the Prime Minister of India, and demanded to lift the ban on the Central Government employees in participating the activities of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
The letter clarified that the RSS is a social service organisation and many Government employees may be interested in doing social work for the benefit of Nation Building. “… due to this ban and the fear of disciplinary action, they are not able to lend their hand in a genuine cause of Nation Building.”
In 2000, the Keshubhai Patel-led BJP government in Gujarat had lifted the ban on the participation of state government employees in activities of the RSS, that was in force through the Union Government guidelines.
