The goal of Sangh is to create a harmonious, unified Hindu social life free from any kind of discrimination. The Sangh calls this stage as ‘Hindu Sangathan’. Dr Hedgewar, Sri Guruji and Shri Balasaheb Deoras are swayamsevaks and colleagues since the beginning. From 1925 to 1994, that is, from the beginning of the Sangh, they have served the post of the revered Sarsanghchalak consecutively for about seventy years. Let us briefly look at the guidance they gave to the Sangh swayamsevaks in their own words as an example.
Sangh founder, Revered Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar – said,
“Since our work is for the entire Hindu community, we cannot ignore any part of it. Our behaviour with all Hindu brothers should be based on affinity. It is a sin to push away any Hindu by considering him inferior. Such narrow-mindedness should not find a foothold in the minds of Sangh swayamsevaks. Our relationship with every person who loves this country should be based on oneness. What people say about us is of no importance. If our behaviour is exemplary, all Hindus will naturally come to us.”
“Organisational work does not recognise untouchability. It does not know the difference between rich and poor, Brahmin or Mahar, scholar or unscholar, be it a person born in Nagpur or Gangotri, every Hindu has access to the Sangh.”
The swayamsevaks, through the shakha method, began to understand that ‘Hindu brothers can come together without any distinction of caste or creed, poor or rich, educated or uneducated, urban or rural.’ Gandhi ji was also impressed to see swayamsevaks of all castes and tribes, with arrangements for accommodation, food and drinking water in one place, in the Sangh camp of Wardha in 1934. In the Sangh Shiksha Varg held in Nagpur in 1940, about 1500 swayamsevaks from across the country stayed together for 40 days like brothers. Revered Doctor Ji, Sri Guruji and Shri Balasaheb Deoras etc were all very happy. They were experiencing the visual form of a harmonious, homogeneous Hindu society without their discriminations.
The lost Saraswati of harmony had started flowing again due to Dr Hedgewar’s Yagyahuti (sacrificial offering). Sri Guruji not only increased its speed but made it flow throughout Bharat. Seven hundred shakhas increased to 11000. Had the Sangh work continued so, we would have been able to experience a homogenous, harmonious society long back.
Why did destiny think of testing the working methods of the Sangh shakhas to create a harmonious society is not known. The Government of Independent Bharat itself placed the terrible false accusation of Gandhi ji’s assassination on the Sangh. It imposed a ban on the Sangh; the shakhas were closed, the flow dried up.
The court ruled in favour of the Sangh (not guilty). Still, a Satyagraha had to be held to get the ban lifted. As the ban was lifted, the Sangh shakhas started operating again with the goal of creating a uniform, harmonious society in mind. But the damage was done. Due to prejudice and misunderstanding, the distance between the society and the Sangh increased. Instead of flowing stream, a situation like stagnant water arose in many places.
In such difficult times, Dr Hedgewar chose Shri Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar (Sri Guruji) as the Param Pujaniya Sarsanghchalak. His life was one of spiritual practice, of realising that ‘one consciousness resides everywhere’. The way he guided the swayamsevaks right after coming out of jail is worth noting.
- “Let us resume the work that has been stalled for the past one and a half years with enthusiasm. However, we should not harbour any ill will towards anyone. We have to fill the gap left by the period of Sangh ban with a pure and pious heart, with patience yet with speed. It does not befit us to harbour feelings of hatred and contempt towards our own community members. ‘Our own teeth and own tongue,’ no one breaks their teeth for biting their tongue. Forget everything that has happened.”
- We want to bring everyone together and build a harmonious, unified, organised society, not on the basis of sect, caste, etc but on the eternal basis of society and nation. No differences should be allowed to remain, this is the idea of the Sangh.
- Untouchability is a disease of the narrow-mindedness of the upper castes. Eliminating untouchability means changing the narrow-mindedness of the upper castes. A majority of common people believe that ‘untouchability is a part of dharma and violating dharma is a grave sin’. People who consider themselves upper castes are not ready to treat the so-called untouchables as equals. I recently read a news report that a Harijan youth in Rajasthan was brutally beaten to death because he had a moustache. Why? According to them, ‘wearing a moustache’ is the right only of the Kshatriyas. No religious leader ‘prohibited’ this incident.
- Sri Guruji tried to get religious leaders to declare that “untouchability is not acceptable in dharma”. In the 1969 session of the Vishva Hindu Parishad in Udupi, all the religious leaders unanimously accepted the resolution that “untouchability has no place in any religious ritual” and gave the mantra “Hindavah Sodara Sarve” to the society.
- About forty years ago, when I was studying at Banaras Hindu University, a Harijan student told me that he was having difficulty in getting food. I spoke to my friends. They all agreed to arrange free food for those students. This arrangement lasted for two years.
- The time has come to break the dilapidated caste and varna system and create a class. From there, a new social structure will be created.
- There is no need to shed tears if an ancient system is disappearing and if a new structure is arriving, one should warmly welcome it. It is important that the unity of the society remains intact.
Venerable Balasaheb Deoras, said,
“The work of the Sangh is going on for the benefit of the entire Hindu society, to make this society united, rich in character, self-respecting, powerful and courageous. It cannot be limited to a caste. Everyone has come to know through experience that we do not believe in casteism, or untouchability. We do not accept the four-varna system. The entire Hindu society is one and equal, this has been our belief from the beginning and we have been ending caste-based prejudice with our unique method of work. I would like to proudly say that the harmony and affinity between castes, sects and languages as seen in the Sangh can be found nowhere else”.
“Untouchability is a manifestation of social inequality. It is an unfortunate phenomenon in our society. It is a mistake. If untouchability is not a sin, then there is no sin in the world. it must go lock stock and barrel. For Salvation /emancipation/redemption all are christian vovabulary for उद्धार of this country, Hindu organisation is necessary and social equality is necessary for becoming a Hindu organisation. Those who intend to transform society cannot ignore women’s lives. Women are the other half अर्धांग of society. This part of society cannot continue to remain weak. “The benefits of production should reach all places in such a way that it raises the standard of living of the common man.”
The structure of the Sangh today has been shaped under the guidance of the first three Sarsanghchalaks. Swayamsevaks have set up institutional works in many sectors of society. The participation of women in institutional works is increasing. In any type of work, achieving harmony and uniformity is considered important. The Sangh is not opposed to inter-caste marriages. Many swayamsevaks have done so, but publicising it would be equal to not forgetting caste. Revered Sri Guruji and Balasaheb Deoras have been present at such marriages.
The ban of 1948 post Gandhi ji’s assassination had set back the Sangh’s work. During the Emergency, the Sangh was banned again. We got to experience destiny. The ban of 1975-76 changed the society’s perspective towards the Sangh’s work that started growing at double the speed. Currently there are 80,000 shakhas. Efforts are being made to ensure that the flow of the Saraswati of harmony reaches every village. It seems Swami Vivekananda’s statement will soon be fulfilled—“A hundred thousand men and women, fired with the zeal of holiness, fortified with eternal faith in the Lord, and nerved to lion’s courage by their sympathy for the poor and the fallen and the downtrodden, will go over the length and breadth of the land, preaching the gospel of salvation, the gospel of help, the gospel of social raising-up — the gospel of equality.”
The universal truth of Tattvamasi can be the basis of social harmony, fraternity and equal treatment. If the direction of conduct remains as ‘Not me but you’, then there will be no discrimination of any kind.
In an issue of Bahishkrit Bharat, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar writes that, “The doctrine of Hinduism is many times more conducive to the doctrine of equality than the doctrine of Christianity and Mohammedanism. Human beings are the children of God. Not just this, they are the forms of God. This is what Hinduism says with great boldness. Where all are the forms of God, there it is not possible to discriminate between someone high and someone low. This is the great and glorious principle of Hinduism. It is difficult to find a greater basis than this for establishing the empire of equality.”
Nationwide society will have to be enlightened about the spiritual truth of ‘Tattvamasi’. The Sangh has started a separate department called Samarasata Gatividhi, with the aim of bringing what is in the shakha, into the society. Sants, religious leaders can do spiritual enlightenment. Untouchability going lock, stock and barrel should become a ‘National’ will.
