The RSS which observes its centenary year of foundation in October this year, is all set to play a key role in the victory of the BJP candidates in Bihar assembly poll scheduled around the year end. After helping the BJP win assembly elections comfortably in Haryana and Maharashtra, the RSS has been asked by the leadership to work tirelessly for the victory of BJP candidates in the coming assembly elections, especially in Bihar and West Bengal.
RSS has been going ahead with its reach-out programme. RSS had shifted its focus on Bihar and West Bengal soon after Delhi polls and has rejuvenated its units particularly in South Bengal, where the ruling TMC has strong support base. It is worth mentioning that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had arrived in the state on a week’s visit only in March. He had also spent a week in Bihar. He met ‘swayamsevaks’ and people associated with other Sangh affiliates.
In Bihar, the RSS is working on ‘Trishul’ formula. According to sources, the organization is focusing on three crucial aspects – Identifying Discontented Voters and Key Issues through confidential surveys. The survey is conducted in strict secrecy.
But the major thrust of the RSS has been to ignite communal passion and pitch the Hindus against the Muslims. There is no uniformity in implementing the programme in both the states. While in Bihar it has been trying to ignite the upper caste feudal elements and landlords, in Bengal it is using the religious celebration. In fact only recently West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had blamed RSS for instigating communal violence in the state. She had alleged: “RSS and BJP are the ones who are instigating communal violence in West Bengal. People of the state should be extremely careful not to get trapped in their provocations. BJP and RSS have become very aggressive”.
She even said: RSS and BJP want to “incite” riots, which will affect everyone. We love all. We want to stay together. We condemn riots. We are against riots. They want to divide us for narrow electoral politics”. She even appealed: “we must avoid mutual mistrust and distrust. The majority and the minority communities must work together and take care of each other”.
Barely a month back, communal violence had erupted in Sonarpur, near Jadavpur of Kolkata. Known RSS faces had led the communal campaign. Their aggressiveness made Mamata to caution : “What BJP and its allies are spreading is false and narrow. They want to foment riots. I did not mention RSS earlier, but this time I am forced to say that they are also at the root of the ugly lies being spread in the state”. Since these accusations have been coming from a chief minister, these could not be rejected as utter lies.
In Bihar too during last four months a number of communal clashes have taken place, though in the form of caste violence. The Dalits and EBCs have been targeted by the upper caste mercenaries belonging to RSS and BJP. According to a report of the Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS) as many as 59 cases of communal riots were reported in 2024, a significant rise compared to 32 riots in 2023. Out of these violence at least 8 have occurred in Bengal. The report says; “This increase in the number of communal riots belies the narrative of the state that India is free from communal riots as there are no communal tensions and the state has maintained communal harmony”.
The main thrust of the RSS has been to organise religious programmes in both the states. RSS has nevertheless has brought about some strategic change in its electoral strategy for both the states. It has not digressed from its policy of identifying Dalits as Hindus, it has been mainly focussing on OBC and EBC. RSS is working on the programme of gharwapasi, using of course force, for the Dalits besides organising some religious meets.
Of late a number of such incidents had taken place across the state, especially in Champaran, Siwan, Bhojpur, Gaya and Nawada. On September 18 last year, 34 Dalit houses were torched in Nawada. Ironically the RSS and BJP have been using one dalit section against the other. In sixties and seventies the upper caste feudals and land lords resorted to these tactics. While in Nawada, the victims were Musahars (Manjhi’s castemen) and Ravidas, the perpetrators were Paswans, supporters of Chirag Paswan. The attackers and those who had suffered were all Dalits.
In Bengal it has planned to organise 300 or more Hindu religious events during 2025 ostensibly to commemorate the centenary of RSS. Though RSS leaders claim that these are part of the centenary celebrations, primarily these aimed at polarising the voters. The RSS intends to use the professional sants and ideological gurus who have mushroomed of late.
Biplab Roy, prachar pramukh (publicity head) of the RSS’s south Bengal chapter, confirmed that the Sangh’s centenary celebrations would begin in Bengal from Mahalaya, starting with Durga Puja in September. Traditionally RSS holds its Shastra Puja on Vijaya Dasmi, the Bengal unit of RSS will start celebrations for centenary from Mahalaya. Interestingly these celebrations would be projected as the part of cultural revivals or spiritual awakenings.
Though the BJP leadership has been still busy sorting out its internal feuds and bickering amongst the state leaders, the RSS has started the plan to double its presence in the state before the 2026 elections. The RSS has grown its branches from around 530 to over 2,500 during last eleven years. To accomplish this mission, the RSS obviously is working on the Hindu centric narrative. Though winning Bengali Hindus has been motive of the RSS, its main focus has been to consolidate its position and base among the non-Bengali migrant Hindus, who are settled in the state and hankering for a better social and economic prospect.
An insight into the communal violences would make it explicit that these have been happening in the areas where they have huge population. The communal violences are usually linked to the Ram Navami celebrations. (IPA Service)
