Justice K.T. Thomas, former Supreme Court judge, said in Kottayam that the RSS stands for democracy. If there was no Sangh, Indira Gandhi could have gone further ahead with the Emergency. Justice Thomas made these comments while speaking to the Kottayam bureau of Janmabhumi Malayalam daily on September 30, in the wake of the RSS centenary. He felicitated the organisation on the occasion of its hundred years.
“RSS completes 100 years since its inception. Those who know the organisation will not be surprised to hear it. It is not a political organisation but a cultural movement. Its aim is the glory of the country,” he said.
Justice Thomas recalled his participation as chief guest in a programme of Dr. Mohan Bhagwat, Sarsanghchalak of the RSS. He said he understood that the RSS aims at the nation’s growth and cultural advancement, providing a social outlook rooted in Bharatiya culture.
According to him, the RSS has devised various methodologies to give people an orientation in self-defence. “They use it only for self-defence. According to the IPC, the act of self-defence is not an offence,” he observed.
Justice Thomas further stated that he shared good rapport with former Sarsanghchalaks K.S. Sudarshan and Dr. Mohan Bhagwat. He recalled once travelling with K.S. Sudarshan by train from Chennai to Kottayam, which gave him ample opportunity to study Sudarshanji closely. “Sudarshanji maintained excellent relations with various personalities. He held Philipose Mar Chrysostom Mar Thoma XX in high esteem,” he noted.
The former Supreme Court judge also remarked that several RSS workers have entered politics. “Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Narendra Modi are among them. I believe they imbibed patriotism and simplicity from the RSS and have continued to practise these values throughout their lives,” he said.
Justice Thomas had earlier hit the headlines in January 2018 when he stated that after the Constitution, democracy and the armed forces, the RSS was the factor that made the people of Bharat safe. Addressing an RSS training camp in Kottayam, he had said, “If an organisation has to be given credit for freeing the country from the Emergency, I would give that to the RSS.” He added that he felt the Sangh imparted discipline to its volunteers for the protection of the country.
