Sangh Parivar

History

In the 1960s, the volunteers of the RSS joined the different social and political movements in India, including the Bhoodan, a land reform movement led by prominent Gandhian Vinobha Bhave and the Sarvodaya led by another Gandhian Jayaprakash Narayan. RSS also supported the formation of a trade union, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and a student's organisation Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and many other organisations like Seva Bharati, Lok Bharati and Deendayal Research Institute among others.

These organisations started and supported by the RSS volunteers came to be known collectively as the Sangh Parivar. Next few decades have seen a steady growth in the influence of the Sangh Parivar in the social and political space of India.

Ideology

Fascism

The Sangh Parivar and Hindutva have been described as fascist by certain scholars and academics. According to historian Sumit Sarkar, Muslims are portrayed as an inherently unpatriotic minority with undue privilege in the propaganda disseminated by the Sangh Parivar, similar to the depiction of Jews in Nazi propaganda. All dissent, and even the possibility of dissent, is framed as a form of "pseudo-secular" minority appeasement. At the same time, the Sangh Parivar presents itself as uniquely indigenous and authentically Hindu, framing secular ideals as fundamentally anti-Hindu.

Whereas fascism rose to power in Italy and Germany within roughly a decade of its emergence, Hindutva, under the Sangh Parivar, followed a far longer period of gestation. Since the 1950s, its network of organisations has focused on ideological indoctrination and the circulation of ideas through popular culture, which Sarkar compares to philosopher Antonio Gramsci's theory of the "war of position", with the aim of ultimately creating a "Hindu Rashtra" () and says that the growth of the Sangh Parivar has been driven by a combination of street violence, infiltration of the police, and collusion with centrist political and judicial leaders.

Economics

While the BJP governments have been progressively seen to be industry friendly, the opinions and the views of the Sangh Parivar constituents like Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) find consonance with the known leftist stands on labour rights. The Sangh Parivar, as a whole, even the BJP in its earlier days, has advocated 'Swadeshi' (Self Reliance). Sangh Parivar leaders have been very vocal in their criticism of globalisation especially its impact on the poor and native people. They have been suspicious of the role of international agencies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Sangh constituents have advocated and promoted decentralised village centric economic growth with emphasis on ecological protection.

Reception

The Sangh Parivar has been described with monikers spanning the spectrum from "patriotic Hindus" and "Hindu nationalist". Some have also labeled them "Hindu chauvinist". While its constituent organisations present themselves as embedded in the traditional ethos of Hinduism, their ideological opponents have characterised them as the representatives of authoritarian, xenophobic and majoritarian religious nationalism in India, These organisations have been accused being involved with Saffron terror.

Social impact

The activities of the Sangh Parivar have had considerable social and religious impact. And considerable influence over country's educational, social and defense policies.

Social reform

In 1979, the religious wing of the Sangh Parivar, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad got the Hindu saints and religious leaders to reaffirm that untouchability and caste discrimination had no religious sanction in the Hindu scriptures and texts. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad is also spearheading efforts to ordain Dalits as priests in temples across India, positions that were earlier usually occupied only by people of "upper castes". In 1983, RSS founded a Dalit organisation called Samajik Samrasta Manch.

The VHP founded a number of educational institutes such as Bharat Sevashram, Hindu Milan Mandir, Ekal Vidalayas and schools in tribal locations.

Social and political empowerment

The service programs, over the years, have led to the empowerment of the economically and socially underprivileged sections of the society, mostly the tribal, who have long remained politically under-represented. Babulal Marandi belonging to the tribal community, who was the organising secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, became the first Chief Minister of the state of Jharkhand.

The emergence of the Sangh Parivar in Indian politics has also brought many representatives of the backward classes, who had been victims of social neglect and casteism, to comparatively prominent positions in the government and administration. At the same time, the Sangh has refused to allow said backward classes a share in the national wealth.

In many villages across India, Dharma Raksha Samitis (Duty/Religion Protection Committees) promote religious discourse and form an arena for bhajan performance. The Sangh sponsors calendars of Hindu deities and provides instruction on sanctioned methods of conducting Ganesh Chaturthi and Navaratri.

Politics

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which represents the Sangh Parivar in national politics, has formed three governments in India, most recently being in power from May 2014 under the leadership of Prime minister Narendra Modi, re-elected in May 2019 and again re-elected in 2024.

Political opponents of the BJP allege that the party's moderate face merely serves to cover the Sangh Parivar's "hidden agenda" of undiluted Hindutva, detectable by the BJP's efforts to change the content of history textbooks and syllabi as well as other aspects of the education system.

Such criticism of the BJP arises from the fact that BJP had only 2 seats in the parliament in 1984 and after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992 the party gained national recognition, and rose to power in 1998.

Babri Mosque demolition

According to the report of the UPA instituted Liberhan Commission the Sangh Parivar organised the destruction of the Babri Masjid. The Commission said— "The blame or the credit for the entire temple construction movement at Ayodhya must necessarily be attributed to the Sangh Parivar".

It also noted that the Sangh Parivar is an "extensive and widespread organic body", which encompasses organisations, which address and bring together just about every type of social, professional and other demographic grouping of individuals.

List of Sangh Parivar organisations

The Sangh Parivar includes the following organisations (with membership figures in brackets). They are also categorised. ;Political

• All Jammu and Kashmir Praja Parishad, literally, "People's Council", a political party active in Jammu from 1947 to 1963.
• Bharatiya Jana Sangh, literally, "Indian People's Association" a political party that existed from 1951 to 1977.
• Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Indian People's Party (202 million as of 2024)

;Occupational and Professional

• Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), literally, Indian People's Youth Front, BJP's Youth Wing
• Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, literally, Indian Farmers' Association (8 million as of 2002)
• Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Indian Labourers' Association (10 million as of 2009)
• Bharatiya Railway Mazdoor Sangh, Indian Railways Workers' Association
• Fishermen's Co-operative Societies (2.2 million as of 2002)
• Sanskar Bharati, Organisation of Indian Artists
• Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad, All India Lawyers' Council
• Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, All India Students' Council (2.8 million as of 2011)
• Akhil Bharatiya Shaikshik Mahasangh, All India Teachers' Federation (1.8 million as of 2002)
• National Medicos Organisation, Organisation of Medical Practitioners
• Akhil Bharatiya Poorva Sainik Seva Parishad, (ABPSSP) All India Ex-Military Servicemen Council.

;Economic

• Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, Nativist Awakening Front
• Vitta Salahkar Parishad, Financial consultants' association
• Laghu Udyog Bharati, an extensive network of small industries.
• Sahkar Bharati, Organisation of co-operatives

;Social Services

• Deen Dayal Shodh Sansthan, for the development of rural areas on the basis of Integral Humanism (1.7 million as of 2002)
• My Home India, Organisation to promote nationalism and cultural assimilation between Northeast India and rest of India. Provide helpline to Northeast India people across the country.
• Bharat Vikas Parishad – Organisation for the development and growth of India in all fields of human endeavour (1.8 million as of 2002)
• Vivekananda Medical Mission, Sociomedical Services (1.7 million as of 2002)
• Seva Bharati, Organisation for service of the needy (founded in 1984)
• Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam
• Sakshama, an organisation working among the blind
• Nele (a part of "Hindu Seva Pratishthana"), Home for destitute Children
• Lok Bharati, National NGO's Front
• Seema Suraksha Parishad, Seemanta Chetana Mancha an organisation working among the people of border districts

;Exclusively Women

• Rashtra Sevika Samiti, literally, National Volunteer Association for Women (1.8 million as of 2002)
• Shiksha Bharati, to provide education and training for skill up gradation to underprivileged girls and women (2.1 million as of 2002)
• Durga Vahini, Women's wing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad.

;Religious

• Vishwa Hindu Parishad, World Hindu Council (6.8 million as of 2002)
• Bajrang Dal, Literally, Brigade of Hanuman (3.8 million as of 2002)
• Hindu Jagarana Vedike, literally, National Volunteer Association for men to protect the Hindus
• Dharm Jagaran Samiti Organisation for conversion of non-Hindus to Hinduism and their coordinating committee "Dharam Jagaran Samanvay Samiti"
• Rashtriya Hindu Andolan, based in Maharashtra calls for the deletion of "secular" from the Indian Constitution
• Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, a sociocultural organisation with the aim to spread the knowledge of Gurbani to the Indian society
• Bhartiya Baudh Sangh, Indian Buddhist Association
• Muslim Rashtriya Manch, * National Front of Muslims*
• Hindu Rashtra Sena, propagating for the establishment of Hindu Rashtra

;Regional based

• Hindu Munnani, a religio-cultural organisation based in Tamil Nadu
• Hindu Makkal Katchi, a religio-cultural organisation based in Tamil Nadu and it works along with Hindu Munnani
• Hindu Aikya Vedi, Hindu United Front based in Kerala
• Janajati Dharma Sanskriti Suraksha Manch, Tribal Organisation based in Assam

;Educational organisations

• Ekal Vidyalaya, Involved in free education and village development in rural areas and tribal villages of India.
• Saraswati Shishu Mandir, School
• Vidya Bharati Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Sansthan, Educational Institutes
• Vijnana Bharati, Science Forum

;Socio-Ethnic

• Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram, Organisation for the improvement of tribals
• Friends of Tribals Society
• Anusuchit Jati-Jamati Arakshan Bachao Parishad, Organisation for the improvement of Dalits
• Bharat-Tibet Maitri Sangh, India-Tibet Friendship Association

;News & Communication

• Organiser, Magazine
• Panchjanya, Magazine
• Vishwa Samvad Kendra communication Wing, spread all over India for media related work, having a team of IT professionals
• Hindustan Samachar a multi-lingual news agency.
• Suruchi Prakashan A publishing house publishing RSS literature

;Think Tanks

• Bharatiya Vichara Kendra, General Think Tank.
• Hindu Vivek Kendra, a resource center for the promotion of the ideology of Hindutva.
• Vivekananda Kendra, promotion of Swami Vivekananda's ideas with Vivekananda International Foundation in New Delhi as a "Public Policy Think Tank" with 6 Centres of study.
• India Policy Foundation, a not-for-profit Think Tank
• Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal, a Think Tank on educational reforms.
• India Foundation, a Think Tank
• Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Yojana (ABISY), All-India History Reform Project
• Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation (SPMRF)

;Overseas

• Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, literally, Hindu Volunteer Association overseas wing of RSS
• Hindu Students Council, Overseas Hindu Students' Wing
• National Hindu Students' Forum, Hindu student group in UK
• Sewa International, UK based Charity
• India Development and Relief Fund, USA based charity
• Rashtriya Bajrang Dal {hanuman sena} ;Children

;Others

• Samskrita Bharati, promotion of the Sanskrit language
• Central Hindu Military Education Society, to encourage more Hindus to join the Defence Services
• Kreeda Bharati, Sports organisation.
• Bharat Tibbat Sahyog Manch and Bharat Tibbat Samanvay Sangh, organisations working with Tibetan expatriates in India.

References

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