NEW DELHI: Two days after it condemned Nagpur violence triggered by demands for the removal of Aurangzeb’s tomb in Maharashtra’s Sambhaji Nagar, the RSS on Sunday said the Mughal Emperor does not fit in the Indian ethos and existence of people with invader mindset is a danger for the country.
RSS second-in-command Dattatreya Hosabale framed the opposition to Aurangzeb and his glorification as part of a process to “decolonise the Indian mind at an intellectual level” and said “distorted narratives of drawing inspiration from invaders have to be fought.”
The RSS general secretary said while India achieved political emancipation in 1947, its mental and intellectual liberation was an ongoing process.
“Many historical events have unfolded over time. Aurangzeb Marg in New Delhi was renamed for a purpose. Aurangzeb’s brother was not made an icon in India even though he followed Ganga Jamuni tehzeeb. The issue is whether we want to make an icon out of someone who opposed Indian ethos or someone who propagated our ethos. What is the issue? Aurangzeb does not fit our ethos. Dara Shikoh does. It is for a free country to decide,” said Hosabale on the concluding day of the three-day meeting of All India Pratinidhi Sabha, the highest decision-making body of the Sangh.
Hosabale said the battle that Indians waged against the British was the freedom struggle but prior to that, the battle waged against invaders was also freedom struggle.
Recalling the struggles of Rana Pratap, Hosabale said “The existence of people with invader mindset is a danger for the country. It is for us to decide with whom we want to associate. It is not about religion. There are Christians who became one with Indian ethos as did Dara Shikoh.
Hosabale said if someone draws inspiration from an invader who wants to destroy cultural heritage of this land, it is a problem.
He was advocating against glorification of Aurangzeb and said he was an invader. “In Bharat if someone wants to present a distorted narrative, that has to be fought. The RSS has always said one political emancipation happened in 1947 but decolonisation of mind is a continuous freedom struggle at an intellectual level,” he said, adding that today Hindu is a word people say with pride and this is a sign of self-confident society.
This awakening of the Hindu society and the emergence of the possibility that the Hindu society can be organised is a great achievement for the RSS, he said.
The RSS will complete 100 years on October 2 this year and plans a nationwide campaign for mass contact with the society.