Description

About the Author

Ram Puniyani is associated with various secular initiatives and also has been part of various investigation reports on violation of human rights of minorities and of people’s tribunal which investigated the violation of rights of minorities. Has been conducting workshops in different parts of the country on the themes related to, threats to democracy; the agenda of communal politics; and politics of terror. Books: Second Assassination of Gandhi, Communal Politics: Facts Versus Myths, Fascism of Sangh Parivar, Terrorism: Perceptions and Reality etc. Is recipient of Indira Gandhi National Integration Award 2006 and National Communal harmony Award 2007.
[email protected], web: www.pluralindia.com

About the Book

India’s political scenario has been drastically changing,particularly in the last three decades. From the decade of 1980s, identity issues have got the better of issues related to various problems of this world. After Shah Bano judgement was bypassed by an Act of Parliament, the Hindu Right led by RSS came into full force to take up the issue of Ram Temple. With the implementation of Mandal Commission, the Hindu Right got a further shot in the arm and planned to demolish the Babri Mosque unleashing communal violence all over the country. The rising communalization polarized the society along religious lines. This formed the increasing electoral strength of Hindu Right. BJP went on from strength to strength, capturing power in the Centre first with less than a majority in Lok Sabha and then with simple majority in 2014 and 2019. Simultaneously, the strength of the RSS too went on rising.
While the RSS claims itself to be a cultural organization it is a supra political organization whose agenda is manifested in different areas of our society. BJP is its political child, VHP instigates religious sentiments making the ground for communalism and Bajrang Dal is the one active on streets as foot soldiers of this politics. There are innumerable other RSS affiliated organizations which act in the fields of education and administration;and among Adivasis, Dalits, women etc. All these organizations have been earlier called as Sangh Parivar, but it is better to call them RSS combine.

Preface

RSS: A Primer Hindu Nationalist Agenda against Indian Constitution. The nature of RSS politics has also been debated. Some like Prakash Karat call it authoritarian, while its real nature is a mix of fundamentalism and fascism. RSS stands opposed to Indian Constitution and aims to bring in Hindu Rashtra, based on Hindu holy books. Its Hinduism is Brahmanical Hinduism based on caste and gender hierarchy, couched in a clever language.