RSS Leadership Shifts Its Battle Against Narendra Modi To Caste Census Turf

The RSS leadership has imparted a new dimension to its protracted battle against Prime Minister Narendra Modi by extending support to caste census at the three day conclave of RSS organisations that ended in Kerala on September 2. With deepening existential crisis and unable to find a viable political device to combat the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi, the RSS leadership has laid the risky trap, of supporting the demand for caste census, to force belligerent Prime Minister to toe its line.

An insight into the decision to support opposition demand would make it explicit that as RSS has run short of creative ideas, it is using caste census as victim card. The leadership took this decision on concluding day of the conclave at the insistence of the participants. Through this reflection, RSS leadership also wanted to convey that Modi does not grasp the mood of the nation.

RSS which has been feeling jettisoned by Modi during these years, used the issue to make him further bend. After coming to power Modi has adopted a comparatively pliant attitude towards RSS and for pleasing the leaders he has lifted ban on government employees joining RSS and also inducted RSS ideologue Ram Madhav in BJP and entrusted him with the task of monitoring the electoral strategy in the significant state of Jammu and Kashmir. Supporting caste census is a calculated move to extract more from him.

Quite noticeable, the nature of the support has been evasive and non-conformist. In a way it could also be attributed to as escapist; RSS does not intend to face the issue head on. RSS cautioned the opposition leaders of not politicising the caste census, but its language of support was loaded with politics. For supporting it RSS resorted to oft used maxim of “danger” to “unity and integrity in society” because of “politicking” over caste-based census. It was a strategic move to convey the message to its support base, primarily consisting of rural rich and feudal lords, that RSS was not for caste census, but for the sake of Sangh Parivar, it was supporting it.

The phrase of the resolution was quite cryptic. It said; “We are all for use of the (caste) count for welfare activities. For special attention to certain groups that are lagging, sometimes the government needs the numbers and we have no problem with it. But it should be for welfare only”. Politically there is huge difference between count and census. It is not only the numerical strength of a particular caste that is of importance. But census aims at inclusive evaluation, creation of human resources and its utility.

RSS leadership claims that it is for empowerment of the Dalits, EBC and poor, in reality it intends to use them as the appendage of the ruling elite; rich and feudal lords. The remark made while supporting the “caste count” appeared to be entangled in ”ifs and buts”. It lacked clarity. The position articulated by the RSS leader underlined the bind the saffron ecosystem finds itself in for not being able to firmly oppose the pitch for a caste census because of political compulsions. RSS offering conditional support is really perilous in nature. The RSS said it welcomed “any affirmative action that is scientific and not conducted for electoral benefits alone… (but) to address disparity (in a Hindu society)”.

In contrast the Congress demand has more clarity. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said: “The Caste Census is about building a policy framework that will deliver social justice. The Constitution promises justice and equality for every Indian. Yet, the harsh reality today is that over 90 per cent of our population is excluded from growth and opportunity. The 90 per cent Bahujans — Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs, minorities, and also the general caste poor — are skilled and hardworking. Excluding them from opportunities is like shutting down 9 cylinders of a 10-cylinder engine — we simply won’t get very far as a nation. caste census will do more than just count the population.”

Rahul said; “Like an X-ray it will reveal who has access to wealth and assets, identify the most marginalised communities, and highlight the families lacking basic needs and opportunities. It will show us who is and isn’t represented in our nation’s institutions — whether in government, business, media, or judiciary. The data from this census will be crucial in designing policies to address long-standing issues. For example, the arbitrary 50 per cent cap on reservations will be revised so that representation in government and education is fair for all communities.”

It is a known fact that every government action has political implication. It is the political compulsion that induces the ruling party to frame its policies and programmes. Undeniably while Modi and BJP have been using it for political gains, to keep intact the upper caste Hindu votes, the Congress would use it to win over the dalit, EBC and OBC votes.

RSS has never changed its stand on caste. Obviously one ought to look at the larger ideological framework that guides the RSS’s thinking on issues such as the ‘caste census’ and ‘reservation’ to understand its position. Notwithstanding demand from the participants, it was the element of electoral defeat, shifting of the dalit and EBC support base, that made the RSS to review its stand.

It is a known fact more than the BJP it is the survival of RSS that is at stake in case the BJP loses state power. RSS has gained enormously during the ten-year rule of Modi. It has even expanded globally and brought a number of government social and educational institutions under its grip. During these years it has given rise to a battalion of saffron intellectuals and academics to promote the rightist forces and ideology.

Though RSS claimed that it was not against reservation, the people are yet to forget RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat strongly arguing at a meet in 2015 for doing away with reservation. This backfired and the BJP lost the 2015 Bihar assembly election, where reservation has been a political necessity more than being an emotive issue.

Chief of the Congress communication cell Jairam Ramesh has rightly said; “Now that the RSS has given the green signal, will the non-biological Prime Minister hijack another guarantee of the Congress and conduct a caste census?” He further questioned whether the Sangh has “veto power” on the matter.” Calling the RSS’ stance as “didactic or preachy”, Ramesh asked: “What does the RSS mean when it says caste census should not be misused for election campaigning? Is it to be a judge or an umpire?”

RSS supported the caste census, but it has not repudiated its revolting propaganda against it of aggravating the caste tension and political problem. It was also argued that launching of caste census would delay other development works. It is a known fact that RSS never speaks truth and its motive has been to create confusion. Though the issue has gathered around 70 per cent national consensus, the RSS is still busy feeding conflicting assessments about the caste census.

The RSS articulation of the caste census – as a welfare move –virtually puts the onus on Modi to find a middle ground, to appease the diverse communities within the Hindu fold. Ever since the INDIA bloc demanded a caste census, the BJP leadership had taken to talk of welfare of the four ‘castes’, namely, women, the poor, farmers, and youth. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was right in saying; “Is the Sangh Parivar, which is in favour of Manusmriti instead of the Constitution of the country, worried about the participation of Dalits, tribals, backward classes and poor-deprived society?” (IPA Service)