INDIAN nationalism rose in the course of the massive movement against British colonialism. But the RSS’ ‘nationalism’ never confronted British rule, but rather saw it as an ally against their ‘real’ enemy – the Muslim people of India!

When Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru were embracing the gallows, the RSS ‘heroes’ were mocking the martyrs and helping the British.

Here is a sample from the writings of leaders of the RSS and Hindu Mahasabha that displays their contempt for the anti-British freedom movement:

  •  “Anti-Britishism was equated with patriotism and nationalism. This reactionary view has had disastrous effects upon the entire course of the freedom movement, its leaders and the common people”.

- M. S. Golwalkar, Bunch of Thoughts,1996, p. 138

  •  “There are bad results of struggle. The boys became militant after the 1920-21 movement…After 1942, people often started thinking that there was no need to think of the law…”

- Golwalkar on the impact of the Non Co-operation
Movement of 1920-21 and Quit India Movement of 1942,
Shri Guruji Samagra Darshan, (S.G.S.D.), Vol. IV, p.41

  •  “In 1942 also there was a strong sentiment in the hearts of many. At that time too the routine work of Sangh continued. Sangh decided not to do anything directly.”

- Golwalkar on the Quit India Movement of 1942, S.G.S.D.,Vol. IV, p.40

The RSS-BJP-ABVP cannot show a single leader of theirs who died, or went to jail fighting the British. The therefore try to borrow icons and bask in that borrowed glory. The greatest such icon in the RSS list is V D Savarkar who is projected as ‘Veer’ Savarkar, but what was his track record?

  • He resisted the British before he became a Hindutva leader. But soon after his re-arrest and trial, when he was taken to the Andamans in 1911, he began pledging loyalty to the British and begging for release in a series of "mercy petitions".

  • In a letter dated November 24, 1913, he repeated this petition pleading for release, promising to mend his ways, and become “the staunchest advocate … of loyalty to the Government … where else can the prodigal son return but to the parental doors of the Government?”

  • To obtain his release in Jan 1924, Savarkar accepted without any compunction the conditions set out in his release order "that he will not engage publicly or privately in any manner of political activities without the consent of Government".

  • The only political activity which the RSS and Savarkar did indulge in freely, with the blessings of the British, was to foment communal riots. And of course, the height of Savarkar’s career was his role in masterminding the murder of Gandhiji.

Another Sangh hero – Shyama Prasad Mukherjee – refused to resign from the Ministry in Bengal during the Quit India Movement. Not only that, as a Minister in the Bengal Government in 1942, he actively offered help and advice to the British administrators to crush the Quit India Movement. In 1942, he wrote:

“The question is how to combat this movement in Bengal? The administration of the province should be carried out in such a manner that in spite of the best efforts ... this movement will fail to take root in the province.”

“As regards India’s attitude towards England, the struggle between them, if any, should not take place at this juncture. ...Anybody who plans to stir up mass feelings resulting in internal disturbances or insecurity, must be resisted by any Government...” (Shyama Prasad Mookerjee, Leaves from a Diary, OUP, 1993, pp 175-190)