But a hint to the wise swayamsevaks of the Sangh is enough. The RSS chief expressed concern over the growing imbalance of population among communities in India. It is, therefore, necessary to heed and scrutinise Bhagwat’s words. The influence of the Sangh on the state machinery, even the army, is unmistakable. Atal Bihari Vajpayee had also said this about himself. The prime minister himself is a swayamsevak first. His speeches are now relayed live by the national broadcaster and other TV channels. Bhagwat’s influence on India’s bureaucracy and police has also increased. In a way, the Sangh is ruling a large part of India through its political wing, the Bharatiya Janata Party. The ideology of the Sangh is now the state ideology of India. Which in turn, is bound to further intensify existing tension and violence in the social life of India. And the truth is that the Vijayadashami speech has a potential to add to the already existing biases and suspicion towards other communities among Hindus. For that section of society, his words have significance. The temptation to ignore his speech as empty rhetoric must be resisted as the RSS influences a large population of Hindus like never before. Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), used the sacred occasion of Vijayadashami to once again incite ominous feelings of suspicion, hatred and violence against other communities among Hindus by resorting to lies, half-truths and deceit.

Swayamsevak meaning