With weakening of the secular forces and their reluctance to take the rightist forces head on, the RSS and its frontal organisation Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) have embarked on the path to redefine the basic tenet of Hinduism and communalise the Hindu society by feeding the politics of Hindutva. VHP which has been primarily responsible for raging and destruction of Babri Masjid, has now assumed the responsibility of godfather of the Hindus.

VHP projecting itself as the patron of the Hindus is a tactical move to distance itself from common Hinduism. The RSS and VHP leaders utterly lack the moral courage to outright defy Hinduism, the basic principles of Sanatan Dharma. Ironically they have been preaching and pushing their concept of political Hindutva to subjugate basic Sanatan Hinduism.

The resolution of the two day meet of Margadarshak Mandal in Prayag coinciding with Maha Kumbh, attended by Mahamandaleshwars and dharmacharyas, makes it explicit that it intends to expropriate authorities of the Sankaracharyas. Their primary duty towards Hinduism and society is unify and protect Hindu and the thought by promoting the philosophy of Advaita Vedanta. It is their responsibility to take care of the wellbeing of Hindus and the society.

But the VHP has been trying to act smart and outplay the Sankaracharyas. At the Margdarshak Mandal meet the saints and dharmacharyas virtually issued a dictat to Hindus to increase the birth rate and have at least two to three children per family or even more to check the dwindling population graph of the community. They expressed concern over the changing demographics posing a threat to the existence of Hindus. Of course their argument is not supported by findings of the empirical studies. They claimed that the Hindus were facing existential threat, which is basically a misconstrued and motivated rightist propaganda.

It is indeed shocking to listen to VHP leaders exhorting Hindus that the Hindu society in the present political scenario, when the country is ruled by their fraternal organisation, the rightist BJP, is facing existential crisis. Their avowal is simply preposterous and virtually censors their own government headed by the Hindu Hridayasamrat, Narendra Modi. Only nine years ago, on January 15, 2015 the then VHP president Praven Togadia, addressing a meeting at the Manohar Bhushan Inter College in Bareilly to celebrate the VHP's 50th anniversary had pleaded for bringing “a law against having more than two children”, and emphasised “make it mandatory for Muslim families to follow that law."

While unveiling the Hindu testament, Togadia had also rolled out a list of guidelines-from the number of children a Hindu family could have to the duties of a good Hindu. The resolution of the VHP meet at Prayagraj reflects their concern for corrosion and decline of Hindu society during Modi Raj. The Hindutva protagonists may argue that Togadia pleaded for the law only for the Muslims. It would be a simplistic explanation. Did his imploration imply that Hindus were above law, were not under any obligation to abide by the law to be framed and free to produce three or more than three children? Togadia had in fact spoken the truth which reflected the ground realities.

RSS and VHP have been consistently pleading that Hindu and Hindutva are under threat. But they never identified the source of threat. It remains an elusive object though they reluctantly point to Muslims. But in the case of Muslims too, they do not have definite proof. The RSS and its ecosystem blame the Mughal rule as the perpetrator of injustice and demand revenge for persecution of the Hindus by ‘Muslim’ rulers. These zealots do not have a rationale answer to justify why do the present day Muslims should be tortured and humiliated for the sins which was committed by the rulers?

Maharashtrian Brahmins who floated RSS had their historical reasons, which are of course irrational, for nursing hatred towards Muslims. Their rhetoric against Muslims makes it clear that their knowledge of history is really poor and skewed. A number of higher caste Hindus, especially Rajputs and Brahmins, served the ‘Muslim’ rulers faithfully. It is a known fact Mughal rule established by Babar, who was invited by a section of Hindu kings to seize India. Babar’s rule was the rule of higher caste Hindus too. Rajput lady Jodhabai was married to Akbar and her brother Man Singh was his prime minister.

Even during British rule, higher caste Hindus enjoyed elevated status. They were the ears and eyes of the British rule. It is said that Britishers invented Hinduism. Britishers created a more unified concept of Hinduism which existed previously in diverse form. British culture and ideas gave rise to Hindu reform movements that aimed to modernize and reinterpret religious practices.

At the Margdarshak Mandal meet Swami Avdheshanand said sadhus expressed concern over issues like live-in relationships and same sex marriages becoming a common affair, in a country of sages. It would have been nice if he would have made aware the common people of the life style and family relations of the sages and saints. His so called concern did not have proper perspective. Young people are increasingly opting for live-in relationships due to family constraints and their inability to pursue a peaceful life. Yet another factor that has been persuading them is the economic constrictions, the compulsions of paying huge dowry. With increasing focus on education and career, young adults prioritize establishing themselves professionally before settling down in a traditional marriage.

VHP president Alok Kumar said the total fertility rate (TFR) of Hindus was 2.1 in the country which in southern India was even less at 1.7 and worrying. Did he ever try to find out the reason. With rampant unemployment and in a country devoid of economic growth, how could an unemployed aspire to get married? Kumar should ask his RSS pracharak prime minister, why is the country facing economic devaluation and why has he failed to provide jobs to the youths?

For the RSS and the sadhus and saints propounding the line of political Hindutva, Hindus are not human beings; they are commodities and machines. They will operate the Hindus and fix their market price. The VHP has also given a call from the Bada Sabha in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh; "The seers and saints have urged that all temples be freed from government control. They want scrapping of laws that gives the government control and the management of temples and the same should be handed over to the faithful". What difference would it make? Certainly it would give rise to a new class of feudal lords having immense financial power and political clout.

The fact cannot be denied that Hindu Society does not face any threat from the foreign onslaught of Christianity, Islam or Communism. Instead it has become the victim of its own internal contradictions and degeneration. The seers and saints are least interested in weeding out the wrongs and cleanse the society. They are more interested in perpetuating the Brahminical system which believes in discrimination and edicts of Manusmriti.

The world is in the midst of a resurgent right-wing populism and many democracies are in retreat. Obviously the RSS and BJP have been resorting to right wing populism, the national populism or nationalism, as a political ideology to woe the Hindus who prefer to remain outside the periphery of Hindutva. Already rightist forces and right wing population have been on surge in western countries, as is seen by reemergence of Donald Trump as the US president. In Europe too many of the countries have come into its grip. For the Sangh Parivar, this is global environment is the right opportunity to push hard their programme in Indian society. (IPA Service)