RSS hardens stand against ‘anti-nationals’

It urges Centre and States to deal strictly with such forces on campuses

The report presented by RSS general secretary Suresh (Bhaiyyaji) Joshi at the ongoing national conclave of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Friday takes a hard line on the Hyderabad University and JNU controversies, calling upon the Centre and the State governments to deal strictly with ‘anti-national’ forces on campuses.

In a section titled ‘National scenario’, the word anti-national appears on the sub-heads of two sections. Hyderabad University is also referred to as Bhagyanagar University, with the name Hyderabad in brackets.

“We expect the Central and State governments to deal strictly with such antinational and antisocial forces and ensure sanctity and cultural atmosphere by not allowing our educational institutions to become centres of political activity,” the report says.

This disapprobation of universities as centres of political activity comes at a time when the RSS’s own student affiliate ABVP has been active on campuses for over six decades.

The report is significant in the wake of Hyderabad University Dalit student Rohith Vemula committing suicide and JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar of CPI’s student wing AISF being booked for sedition.

‘Men, women equal partners in worship’

The report presented Mr. Joshi refers to the controversy over the attempted entry of women into the inner sanctum of a temple in Maharashtra.

Saying that men and women were equal partners in worship since Vedic times, it calls for a change in the mindset where some unfair practices exist, though through consensus and not through politicisation and agitation.

The report takes note of the growing ‘communal frenzy’, but cites only Malda, expressing concern over destruction of business establishments of Hindus in attacks.