RSS to invite Rahul on Bharat vision

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will have a major three-day convention from September 17 to September 19 at Vigyan Bhavan with over 1,500 invitees representing “all shades of opinion” to discuss the kind of India Sangh envisages in the 21st century as debate rages over the organisation’s role in the light of controversies generated by Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s comments on the RSS during his recently concluded foreign tour.

Sources said Rahul too will be invited to attend the conclave to understand the RSS and its perspective on nation- building. Invite is to be sent to all key political leaders,

including CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury, the sources said.

However, replying to a question on whether Rahul will also be invited, RSS all-India Prachar Pramukh Arun Kumar said the list has not been finalised.

“It is our prerogative to choose who to invite or not. Leave this to us... But people from all walks of life, including from different political outfits, ideologies and religions, will be invited,” he said.

The event titled “Future of Bharat: An RSS’s perspective” will be addressed by RSS head Mohan Bhagwat and will have participation from political leaders, including those from the Congress, academicians, social scientists and other “eminent people” from different walks of life.

Sources did not confirm Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation as they affirmed that the BJP will be adequately represented in the RSS conclave.

“The preparations for the event have been on for last six months and it has no relation to the recent debates raked up  around the organisation,” sources said denying that Rahul’s comparison of the RSS with Islamic extremist outfit “Muslim Brotherhood” has prompted the Nagpur-based organisation to clear the air.

Last week, Rahul at the International Institute of Strategic Studies at London said, “The RSS is trying to change the nature of India…RSS’ idea is similar to the idea of Muslim Brotherhood in the Arab world.”

Sources in the RSS maintained that the Congress leader was “only trying to hit the RSS to eventually take on its political rival the BJP.” The official view of the RSS is that Rahul, who has not understood India yet, can’t understand the RSS.

Responding to a question on Rahul’s remark during a Press conference, Kumar said if  the Congress leader had the clear idea of what the Islamic State, the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamic terrorism have done to the world, he, perhaps,  would have not made such a comparison.

“The entire world today is facing the threat of Islamic fundamentalism. He is unaware... He does not understand the gravity of the situation that’s why he is making such statements,” Kumar said.

“Sometimes, he himself says that he is trying to understand Bharat. One who has not understood Bharat cannot understand the RSS. Understanding at least Bharat is necessary to understand the RSS,” Kumar said. Such comparisons were made due to lack of information, he said.

The RSS leader also said only when one understands “sarvdharma sambhav, vasudhaiv kutumbakam” and the idea of “we the people of India”, only then the person will understand the Sangh.

He said in the next month’s event, the RSS head would articulate RSS’ view on various issues relating to the contemporary Indian politics.