'Terrorists' Says RSS, 'Gross Lies' Responds SKM

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) appears to have stirred a hornet’s nest by referring to the farmers’ agitation as an “attempt to spread anarchy”. This has evoked a strong reaction from the farmers community, as well as from some political corners.

In its annual report released a few days ago, the RSS stated: “The separatist terrorism in Punjab has raised its ugly head. Under the pretext of Farmers’ Agitation, especially in Punjab, attempts have been restarted to spread anarchy, just two months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.”

This reference has been made on page 65 of the annual report, which discusses the national scenario. The report was presented by RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) which is the umbrella organisation of various farmers groups across the country has denounced the RSS’ claim, and sought an apology from the saffron outfit.

“This is a gross allegation without any substance and part of corporate efforts to paint any dissent against the anti-farmer, anti-worker corporate policies of the Modi government as ‘anti-national,” the SKM stated.

“The Kisan Movement in India has the outstanding history of always raising and fighting with supreme sacrifice. In the colonial period, farmers fought against the landlord - imperialist regime thus, enabled the people to attain independence.

“In the contemporary period, Kisan movement is fighting valiantly against the corporate-communal Narendra Modi regime that is facilitating corporate loot of the people especially farmers and workers,” it added.

The SKM has also asked the RSS to explain its stand on MSP@C2+50% for all crops, for guaranteed procurement and loan waiver for farmers, and providing minimum wage of Rs.26000 per month to the workers.

“Under Modi Raj, the MSP@A2+FL (actual costs incurred along with implicit costs in the form of family labour) is paid only for below 10% of the farmers. The Modi government has waived loan arrears worth Rs.14.68 lakh crore to the corporate companies but not a single rupee of the farmers.

“As per the recent RBI data, the lowest daily wage to workers - Rs. 221 to Rs. 241 per day – well below the national average of Rs 349 - is being paid in the BJP ruled states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. These are the real issues of livelihood of the majority of the people that need to be debated in the election,” SKM stated.

The farmers claim that it is through their movement that livelihood issues have come back in the poll agenda instead of “Ayodhya and other religious disputes”. This they say is “annoying” the RSS.

“The RSS resolution is silent on livelihood issues including unemployment, price rise, and privatisation of public sector and wants to denigrate the farmers' movement that fights corporate loot as ‘anti-national’. This is nothing but working as the political agent of the corporate interests and betraying the farmers and workers of India.

“The RSS has always been anti-farmer, never demanded land reforms and sided with the interests of the landlord class. SKM appeals to the people to understand and rebuff such landlord-corporate arguments being broadcasted by the RSS,” the farmers’ body has charged.

The farmers have taken on the RSS’ ideologically as well. They have said that the divisive and communal ideology of ‘Hindu Rashtra’ originated from the British imperialist strategy of divide and rule, and had instigated communal polarisation in colonial India that triggered the painful tragedy of the brutal bloodshed and separation of two major areas: Punjab and Bengal.

“That resulted in the division of secular India and the theocratic state of Pakistan. The RSS ideology of Hindu Rashtra - a theocratic state, is hostile to the idea of modern democratic nation state and challenges the secular democratic constitution of India, the great tradition of our struggle for independence fought by people of all religions thus, anti-national,” the SKM stated.

In a separate reaction to the RSS’ annual report, the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) president Ashok Dhawale and general secretary Vijoo Krishnan stated, “This canard spread by the betrayers of the freedom struggle is out of vengeance against the incessant SKM-led united movement of farmers which has forced the Narendra Modi-led BJP government to withdraw the pro-corporate farm acts.”

The AIKS leadership observed, “Notably, the RSS has used the term ‘disruptive forces’ to characterise the patriotic farmers of Punjab and Haryana who are fighting against the corporatisation of agriculture. The reality is that it is Hindutva terrorism that is acting as the most disruptive internal threat to the unity and diversity of the country. Hindutva fascistic politics is closely aligned with international finance capital and big business which is threatening Indian farmers.”

The AIKS reminded the RSS that various official inquiry commission reports have identified the organisation’s “nefarious role” in inciting communal riots. “This very reason led to its ban in 1948 after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination and in 1992 after the demolition of the Babri Masjid.

“The role played by the Sangh Parivar functionaries in the 1984 anti-Sikh pogrom as well as in the 2002 Gujarat genocide are well documented,” the AIKS leaders stated. They called upon all patriotic forces to “isolate the RSS-led elements who are spreading canards against the farmers’ movement”.

In Punjab, senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa also said that the RSS’ observation was not only misleading but also a dangerous attempt to undermine the democratic rights of citizens.

“By equating the farmers' agitation with separatist tendencies, the RSS is not only misrepresenting the ground realities but also attempting to suppress the voices of those fighting for their livelihoods.

“It is appalling to see the RSS, the ideological mentor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) resorting to such tactics to deflect attention from the genuine concerns of farmers. Instead of addressing the root causes of the protests and engaging in meaningful dialogue, they choose to paint a false narrative to suit their political agenda,” Bajwa said.

“Furthermore, the RSS report's insinuation that the farmers' agitation is a ploy to spread anarchy just before the Lok Sabha elections is ludicrous and baseless. It is an insult to the intelligence of the people of Punjab who have been steadfast in their demands for fair treatment and just policies,” he added.

Narayan Dutt of Inquilabi Kendar Punjab who has been a part of the farmers’ movement from the very beginning told The Citizen that, “The RSS has resorted to directly defaming the farmers. Such manoeuvres are bound to be counterproductive for them across the country.”

Cover Photograph Reuters