RSS and the Propaganda Against It

RSS is a service organization, promoting education, charity and Hindu cultural development. Its daily Shakha meetings have a certain discipline, with a saluting of the flag and a promotion of nationalism, but no real militance. Its brand of Indian nationalism, recognizing cultural and religious pluralism, is more tolerant than most American nationalism. The organization is free of caste and members are not judged by their material status. While members honor their RSS leaders there is no personality cult of a charismatic leader dominant but rather a general sense of organizational strength, an almost anonymity about ones personal efforts and achievements.

Over time I visited met various RSS related or founded organizations from intellectual groups to schools and hospitals to yoga institutions. All had dedicated workers and a very broad and diverse range of activities. All showed quite a diversity of opinions among their members. There was nothing like a party line in any of them. Each group though part of the RSS family had a certain independence and was free to pursue its own goals without interference from the rest of the organization.