RSS can bust myths about 'liberal' Hindus

Development is not just about financial growth. It's about a mindset. The progressive mindset that connects the mass and the rulers defines the development of a society. What does it mean for the God's own country? Kerala is dubbed as the most literate state in India, which is known for its better social indicators, Communist credentials, and progressive approach towards social issues.

A general perception prevails in Kerala society about the Communist Party and the Sangh Parivar, two highly disciplined socio-political outfits known for their effective cadre-based style of functioning in multiple areas of public life. While the Communists are always portrayed as the torchbearers of progressive movements, the Sangh Parivar is painted as the group of musclemen who have been engaged in protecting age-old traditions and beliefs without any logic in the name of religion.

Let look at the RSS' (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) stand on two issues that seized the attention of the national media recently against this social backdrop. The first one is the fireworks explosion at Paravur Puttingal Devi Temple, which claimed the lives of over 100 people in the coastal district of Kollam in Kerala on April 10.

There's little doubt that the temple authorities were responsible for the Paravur inferno as they conducted the competitive pyrotechnics display without permission from the authorities. It enraged the Kerala society, spurring social thinkers and reformists into action against the unscientific fireworks displays in the name of religion.

The state had heard loud voices demanding ban on firework spectacles during temple festivals.  But no lessons learnt. Despite the Kollam mishap, the authorities and the "mass" refused to skip heavy fireworks in Thrissur Pooram festival. Those who were lamenting for the ban on fireworks suddenly became anti-Hindus even though this tradition has nothing to do with Hindu culture.

Politicians and religious leaders with vested interests cleverly played the religious sentiments card to hold the fireworks display amid the demands for ban. With an eye on imminent assembly elections in the state, Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy too played the politics of appeasement like a "typical" Congress leader.

He said, "The government could impose regulations on the display of fireworks, but cannot ban them." The leaders from all parties intentionally put aside the fact that Kollam fire was a disaster waiting to happen. The unscrupulous politicians were very circumspect in their statements on the so-called rituals. But the RSS surprised many in Kerala with their rational and progressive views on the issue.

"There should be an end to the practice of spending crores on temple festivals. Instead of that the money should be used for social welfare," said J Nandakumar, Akhil Bharatiya Sahaprachar Pramukh of the RSS, in the context of Paravur fire.

This was supplemented by a recent editorial published in Kesari weekly, the mouthpiece of the RSS in Malayalam language, which lashed out at the conduct of pyrotechnics display and elephant procession during the temple festivals.

In a candid article, the Sangh said that insaneness should not be termed as a ritual. India's most powerful Hindu nationalistic organisation had defined the expensive fireworks show in temples as a social evil. It should be noted that even small temples spend crores of rupees to conduct fireworks display.

The Kesari editorial also voiced their concern on the mistreatment of elephants during festivals. The pestering of elephants by parading them under the scorching sun and in the middle of fire torches should be stopped, according to the article. The media space of Kerala didn't give much attention to these views as it breaks the stereotypical image of the RSS in the state.

The second issue is about gender equality and temples. Amid a debate over permitting women of all age groups to worship at the Sabarimala temple in Pathanamthitta of Kerala, the egalitarian stand taken by the RSS had no scope for any kind of doubts. They reiterated its view on gender equality by saying that both men and women have equal right to enter the temples at its annual apex body meeting in Rajasthan in last March.

But, the general perception in Kerala is that the RSS has been batting for the limited entry of women at Shabarimala temple, and credited them with the anti-women tag. As I mentioned at the beginning development is about a mindset. Here, the social psyche and development mindset are eclipsed by the pseudo-secular hallucinations and so-called liberal ethos of Hinduism. And, the liberal Kerala Hindu thinks the fireworks and elephant parade-like shows are part of Hindu traditions.

An organisation like the RSS can change the situation with systematic campaigning through its social engineering techniques. Time has offered the Sangh an excellent opportunity to challenge the existing aura of "liberal Hinduism" an debunk the myth of unscientific traditions. The politicians will be engaged in appeasement politics until a radical change occurs in the collective mindset of society.