Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unveiling of a postage stamp and a ₹100 commemorative coin on Wednesday to celebrate the centenary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has drawn sharp criticism from opposition leaders, who accuse the government of promoting a divisive ideology that undermines India’s freedom struggle and Constitution.
During the event in Delhi, Modi asserted that several RSS leaders, including founder K.B. Hedgewar, had participated in India’s independence movement and faced imprisonment. The newly released ₹100 coin features the national emblem on one side and an image of Bharat Mata alongside RSS volunteers on the other. Modi framed the inclusion of Bharat Mata on Indian currency as a significant historical achievement.
Opposition figures have condemned the actions as an affront to India’s history, calling it a “dark day” for the nation. They argue that honoring the RSS—an organization accused of collaborating with colonial authorities—risks discrediting the contributions of those who genuinely fought for freedom and the secular, united India they envisioned. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) stated, “This is a grave injury and insult to the Constitution of India which the RSS has never accepted.”
Critics have highlighted that the image of Bharat Mata, perceived to embody a Hindu goddess ideology, reflects the RSS’s sectarian view of India. Furthermore, they have called into question the portrayal of RSS participation in the 1963 Republic Day parade, asserting that historical evidence contradicts claims of the organization’s patriotism during the Indo-China conflict.
The opposition has accused the RSS of enhancing colonial divide-and-rule strategies that weakened Indian unity essential to the resistance against British rule. They have emphasized the ongoing challenges of communal violence in independent India, attributing some of this strife to the RSS’s documented actions.
Indian National Congress General Secretary K.C. Venugopal referred to the decision to commemorate the RSS as “a deep insult to India’s freedom struggle and the Constitution.” He remarked on the irony that an organization once banned by Sardar Patel could now receive such honors, questioning its compatibility with the tenets of social justice advocated by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh cited Pyarelal’s writings on Mahatma Gandhi, noting Gandhi’s characterization of the RSS as a “communal organization with a totalitarian outlook” in 1947, shortly before Patel imposed a ban on the group.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan echoed these sentiments, describing the releases as a “grave insult to our Constitution” and framing the national honor as a direct assault on the memory of true freedom fighters.
Earlier, Modi had praised the RSS in his Independence Day speech, describing it as “the world’s largest NGO” and marking its centenary with accolades that critics suggested diminished the sacrifices made by independence martyrs.
Modi addressed the centenary celebrations at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, coinciding with the Hindu festival of Navratri, and linked the founding of the RSS to a long-standing tradition of national consciousness, emphasizing its relevance in contemporary India.
The article originated from Maktoob media.
Tags: Modi, RSS centenary, stamp release, opposition response, India freedom struggle
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