RSS’ all-is-well signal to Modi government

Nagpur: The three-day convention of Sangh Parivar’s highest decision-making body — Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha — concluded on Sunday without taking up resolutions on prevailing political or economic situation in the country.
Instead, it passed one on a soft issue of conserving Indian languages with a three-year plan to promote indigenous dialects for better bonding of people. Significantly, BJP national president Amit Shah is camping here for two days for the Sabha. He also visited here before the start of the meeting and held a four-hour deliberations with the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis also attended the Sabha on Saturday.

Addressing the customary post-convention press briefing, Suresh (Bhaiyyaji) Joshi expressed concerns over the recent banking fraud in PNB as well as the growing unrest among farmers across the country.

“That some people avail huge bank loans and flee the country to avoid repayments is a matter of grave concern. There is a need to establish a foolproof system to avoid recurrence of such frauds,” Joshi asserted.

On farmers’ problems, he said it should dealt with great sensitivity regarding returns for the occupation but also advised farmers to take a holistic view of the scenario instead of agitation on streets. “The government should come out with an agriculture policy that addresses farmers’ concerns,” he stressed

The second-in-command of the RSS condemned the demolition of Communist leader Lenin’s statue in Tripura and defacement of Jansangh founder Shyamaprasad Mukherjee’s statue in Bengal. “We should know who are the people doing this,” Joshi added, implying political forces trying to show the BJP-Sangh in bad light could be behind these acts.

Asked at a time when there was furore in the country over economic failure of Modi government and derailment due demonetisation, GST implementation, why the Pratinidhi Sabha was silent on these serious issues, Joshi said no pressing need was felt for passing resolutions on these issues. “The Sangh Parivar goes by its own assessments and is not influenced by external views.” said Joshi, justifying the view that the RSS was going soft on Modi by not raising the issues.

Joshi expressed satisfaction at the growth rate of the RSS and said he was happy that it had reached 60,000 villages and cities where 80,000 ‘shakhas’ (units) meet regularly giving strength to the largest nationalistic organization. Joshi was re-elected for the fourth consecutive term in the all-important post of sarkaryavah (general secretary) in the unopposed election held on Saturday at the Sabha. Over 1,500 representatives of 35 Sangh Parivar constituents took part in the three day deliberations.

On the Ram temple issue, Joshi said the RSS was sure that it would be built at Ayodhya but was waiting for the favourable resolution through court of the title dispute of the Janmabhoomi site. Asked about Sri Sri Ravishankar’s initiative of talks with disputed parties, Joshi said evolving a consensus on sensitive matter looked extremely difficult, yet the spiritual Guru could give it a try.