Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Saturday issued a statement on the sidelines of the outfit’s three-day long annual meet at Gujarat, where he said that the contribution of spiritual leaders like Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Swami Vivekananda, Maharshi Aurobindo and others in India’s freedom struggle should not be forgotten. He also said RSS workers under founder KB Hedgewar, too, played their role in India’s freedom struggle.
The saffron outfit has continually faced criticism from Opposition parties, particularly the Congress, over their lack of contribution in India’s freedom struggle. Hedgewar founded the RSS in Nagpur in 1925, and he passed away in 1940.
“This National Movement was all-inclusive and covered the entire Bharat. Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Swami Vivekananda, Maharshi Aurobindo and other spiritual leaders motivated the people and leaders of Bharat to offer sustained resistance to British subjugation,” his statement read.
“Lal-Bal-Pal, Mahatma Gandhi, Veer Savarkar, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Chandrasekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Velu Nachiyar, Rani Gaidinliu and other known and unknown freedom fighters further strengthened the feeling of self-respect and nationhood. The swayamsevaks also played their role under the leadership of staunch patriot Dr Hedgewar,” it further read. Lal-Bal-Pal was the moniker given to freedom fighters Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Bipin Chandra Pal.
The outfit, also facing continued criticism over the role of Savarkar in India’s freedom struggle with his mercy petitions to the British being brought up by Opposition parties, has been working at reviving his image.
The statement comes as the RSS holds its three-day annual meet at Ahmedabad.
At the meet, an annual report released by the outfit condemned the killing of Bajrang Dal activist Harsha in Shivamogga in February, and said that religious fanaticism has claimed the lives of several Hindus, and that the murders of activists of Hindu organisations in Kerala, Karnataka are an example.
“Series of dastardly acts revealing communal hysteria, rallies, demonstrations, violation of social discipline, custom and conventions under the guise of the Constitution and religious freedom, inciting violence by instigating meagre causes, promoting illegal activities, etc. is increasing,” the report read.
The RSS has also vowed to increase its footprint in the meet, resolving to open branches in every major town and city in the coming two years.
In the annual report, the RSS has also said that the forced conversion of Hindus is continuing in states like Karnataka, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh
“... Of late, different newer ways of converting new groups are being adopted. It seems necessary to make joint and coordinated efforts in this direction in a more planned manner,” the report states.
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