There has been a long debate over the role of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in the Indian freedom struggle, but on the incidents from 1901 to 1942 it is clear that the Sangh and its founder Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar contributed directly and indirectly to the movement on several occasions. Dr. Hedgewar’s association with national consciousness was since childhood. His expulsion from the school due to anti -British slogans, Dr. Hedgewar’s arrest during the non -cooperation movement and his public programs in support of ‘Purna Swaraj’ is evidence of this.
The arrest of Dr. Hedgewar in the 1930 ‘Jungle Satyagraha’, celebrating ‘Purna Swaraj Day’ in branches and volunteers during the Quit India Movement of 1942 to give shelter to underground revolutionaries, flag hoisting and face British repression, all are solid examples of their activism. Not only this, many volunteers also gave their lives by shooting or hanging. The Sangh not only saw the freedom struggle from a political point of view, but considered it a comprehensive attempt to nation -building. His work structure based on discipline, service and organization continued to contribute to social and mental preparation for independence. In this way, although the Sangh did not take place in the front line of direct political struggle like the Congress or revolutionary organizations, its active participation, public awareness and organizational cooperation of its volunteers gave the freedom movement the ground and humanitarian basis. This role is an important chapter in the pages of history.
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Let us tell you that when Dr. Hedgewar established the RSS in 1925, his thinking was that the organization of youths with disciplined, moral and nationalist character is necessary for success in the freedom struggle. Although the Sangh did not directly place itself in the political line of the Congress, he continued to work on the same national goals. At the Lahore session of 1929, the proposal of complete self -rule was welcomed by the Sangh in its camps. In 1930, flag worship and public awareness programs were organized in Sangh branches on ‘Purna Swarajya Day’.
In the 1930 ‘Jungle Satyagraha’, Dr. Hedgewar addressed thousands of villagers, resulting in a nine -month rigorous imprisonment. During this period, RSS volunteers contributed to the cooperation, relief and organizational works of Satyagrahis. The Sangh volunteers made active contribution during the 1942 ‘Quit India Movement’. In Bihar, Maharashtra and other regions, many volunteers were killed or sentenced to death while working against flag hoisting, underground activities, and British repression. Incidents such as ‘Marrour Ashadh scandal’ and refuge to underground revolutionaries reflect the direct participation of some local centers of the Sangh.
During the freedom struggle, Sangh branches and volunteers used to provide safe hideouts, food and medical help for revolutionary leaders. Pandurang Patil, Acharao Parasiddhi and other revolutionary leaders had accepted this assistance of the Sangh workers. If seen, there are different views in historians and political classes regarding the role of RSS. But there is no doubt that the Sangh gave indirect force to the freedom struggle through national character building, discipline and social organization. The period from 1901 to 1942 was a mixture of organizational construction and limited direct participation for the union, which shaped his ideological and political direction in independent India.
However, the history of the Indian freedom struggle is as glorious, it has also been politically sensitive. For a long time there was a perception that the credit for independence goes mainly to the same political party and its leading family. As a result, the role of other organizations and individuals in the freedom struggle – especially the RSS was either shown to be negligible or completely neglected. The mention of the contributions of the RSS was often absent in the mainstream books of history. A political argument was also vested behind this neglect – tie the story of freedom in a central stream and associate it with the image of a particular family or leadership. This not only impaired the balance of historical facts, but also the pluralistic nature of the freedom struggle.
Now is the time to see history in its entirety, where Congress, revolutionary party, socialist leaders, religious-cultural organizations and tribal rebellions, all together make a collective story of freedom. This will not only be justice to the truth, but will also help the generations to understand that the freedom of India was not the work of any one person, family or organization, but the struggle, sacrifice and sacrifice of crores of people.
-Niraj Kumar Dubey