Conflict Resolution: The RSS Way
RSS, the world’s largest voluntary organization, is still defined by these three phrases Hindu, Hindutva, and communal. How does RSS factor into national affairs? What was the role of RSS in the freedom struggle? Questions like these are also raised. RSS, on the other hand, views itself as a cultural organization. RSS will mark its 100th anniversary in 2025, and there are many misconceptions about it till today. RSS literature is not readily available, which is the primary reason for this. There is, however, a slight shift, and RSS volunteers are now working on literature generation and dissemination. Dr. Ratan Sharda has been pursuing a similar idea for several years. There are many books by Ratan Sharda bringing awareness to people. Dr. Ratan Sharda and Dr. Yashwant Pathak have penned a book, Conflict Resolution: The RSS Way (Garuda Prakashan Pvt. Ltd) in this series.
RSS critics will learn from Ratan Sharda’s book that RSS holds two major national meetings each year. First, there is the Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), while the second is the Akhil Bhartiya Karyakari Mandal (ABKM). In both of these meetings, thousands of RSS office-bearers participate.
The resolutions passed at these meetings offer simple solutions to complicated issues that are entirely in the national interest. RSS resolutions are passed at both of these meetings as an indication of its official position on various issues. Anyone can read these resolutions to discover the RSS’s official position. The RSS has passed resolutions on a variety of issues since 1950. The more than 250 RSS resolutions (1950-2021) can be categorized as follows:
Anniversary
Assam
Bangla Desh
China
Cow protection
Education
Jammu and Kashmir
Minority appeasement
National issues
National security
Natural resources
Nepal
North East
Pakistan
Partition
Punjab
Religious conversions
RSS
Shri Rama Janmabhoomi
Social issues
A close examination of this list indicates that there is almost no topic pertaining to the country on which the RSS has not issued an official word. Dr. Ratan Sharda and Dr. Yashwant Pathak’s book ‘Conflict Resolution: The RSS Way’ gives distinct insights on conflicts that have afflicted India, focusing on three major areas that have bled India for decades: Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and the North East region. This book is based on hard facts and the experiences of RSS swayamsevaks on the ground. In addition, this book focuses on how the RSS acted, thought, prevented, and held on to its own in Kashmir, Punjab, and the North East.
Earlier, RSS avoided the media, hence there was very little RSS-related news or information was published in the media. The RSS’s official position on a variety of issues was communicated by resolutions passed at these two meetings conducted twice a year. Because these resolutions were rarely reported in the media, the public was unaware of the RSS’s position. As a result, there is still some misunderstanding about RSS today.
In respect to numerous concerns in the country, including cultural, economic, religious, and social issues, no comprehensive study was ever conducted on what the official opinion of RSS was and what RSS did in these domains up to this point. ‘Conflict Resolution: The RSS Way,’ by Ratan Sharda and Yashwant Pathak, looks to be an attempt in this approach. This book is divided into three sections. The first section contains a detailed description of Jammu and Kashmir. The role of the RSS in Jammu and Kashmir is highlighted with numerous specific references. In this section, readers will learn more about the Radicalization of Kashmir and the Hindu Exodus. The reader would be astounded by the revelations in this book about the nexus between Khalistanis and Kashmiri separatists. The reader would be shocked by the role of Wahabization in Kashmir and the detailed chronicle of all Muslim attacks on Hindus from 1986 to 1992 is also given in the book. After reading this exhaustive description, readers will realize that slogans like Insaaniyat, Jamhuriyat, Kashmiriyat, and also Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb are nothing more than a ploy.
According to the authors of this book, the RSS has maintained an aggressive attitude against talks with Pakistan, claiming that no talks or negotiations can be successful unless Pakistan ceases to assault India and withdraws from POJK. It has backed India’s security forces in their efforts to safeguard the country’s integrity in J&K. RSS has taken a strong stance against Article 370 and the unwarranted ambiguity surrounding J&K’s accession. RSS spoke up for the non-Muslim and non-Sunni populations who had stuck by India through thick and thin and ensured that they were treated fairly. Its sincere efforts brought to light the insertion of Article 35(A), as well as the deception conducted in its name, which limited the rights of India’s (non-J&K) citizens, as well as gender prejudice and discrimination against various sectors of the population, through the Citizens Bill. RSS used a holistic approach to resolving one of the most difficult insurgencies in which a foreign hand played a significant role.
The second portion of the book analyzes the RSS’s role in Punjab. The genocide in Punjab during India’s partition is documented, as also how RSS and Akali Dal activists saved millions of people by playing on their lives. There is also a full description of what the mainstream media, leaders, and political parties stated at the time, in addition to a detailed description of the RSS’s resolutions at the time. A section of the book also details the problem that Khalistanis have with the RSS.
Insurgencies in the northeastern region are covered in the third section of the book. The reader will learn about the involvement of the church in these Insurgencies in this section. A detailed analysis of the role of foreign funds in the church’s overpowering reach and authority in the northeast will also astound the reader. Every issue relating to the northeast, as well as the role of RSS in resolving that issue, is discussed in length in this section. Readers will also gain insight into RSS’s efforts to distinguish between illegal immigrants and persecuted refugees.
In summary, the RSS’s reaction to conflicts and insurgencies is shaped by its understanding of India’s unifying spirit and the overall integral vision of national security, rather than by local reasons or incidents, according to this book. RSS considers matters not in isolation, but in the context of the entire country. It could see and warn people in power about the links between the J&K movement and jihadi terror, links between Khalistanis and J&K separatists and Pakistani supporters, nexus between Breaking India forces through the Naxal corridor, the link between the Church and separatists in the North East, and links between terror groups from Naxal areas from Maharashtra to Kerala. It emphasized the ISI’s role in numerous unrests from Kashmir to Assam. Even though it was bluntly denied in many situations initially, its information was eventually thoroughly validated by news agencies, investigative journalists, field academics, and government reports.
In a nutshell, Dr. Ratan Sharda and Dr. Yashwant Pathak’s ‘Conflict Resolution: The RSS Way’ is a daring and comprehensive endeavor to highlight important historical truths, particularly in the context of the RSS efforts in Kashmir, Punjab, and the northeastern area. Many RSS critics will find answers to their issues in this book, while RSS swayamsevaks will learn important information about their own organization that isn’t widely publicized. It’s inspiring to see such literary accomplishments. It’s better to be late than never!
Aside from Amazon and Flipkart, this book is accessible at the following link:
