VSK TN
Patel Buckled Under Nehru’s Pressure to Crack Down on RSS
Next week, four decades would have passed since the darkest chapter
of Indian post-Independence history began, when the Emergency was
declared on June 25, 1975. It unleashed a reign of terror against
political and ideological opponents, particularly the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) until elections were declared in 1977. However,
the template for the shameful desecration of democracy was set in 1948,
when the Jawaharlal Nehru government banned the RSS, mercilessly hunting
down and incarcerating its members on the suspicion that the right wing
organisation was complicit in the murder of Mahatma Gandhi. The
decision to ban the RSS was taken on February 4, 1948, when Nehru was
the prime minister and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was the home minister
and part of the collective decision making body that governed the
country. At a time when plans to raise a statue of Patel that will
eclipse the Statue of Liberty are on, documents available with The
Sunday Standard show Patel adhering to the government decision to
persecute the RSS. Government employees were trailed, arrested and
jailed; students watched, arrested and accused for being RSS
sympathisers and even those acquitted of any involvement were summarily
dismissed from their jobs.
of Indian post-Independence history began, when the Emergency was
declared on June 25, 1975. It unleashed a reign of terror against
political and ideological opponents, particularly the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) until elections were declared in 1977. However,
the template for the shameful desecration of democracy was set in 1948,
when the Jawaharlal Nehru government banned the RSS, mercilessly hunting
down and incarcerating its members on the suspicion that the right wing
organisation was complicit in the murder of Mahatma Gandhi. The
decision to ban the RSS was taken on February 4, 1948, when Nehru was
the prime minister and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was the home minister
and part of the collective decision making body that governed the
country. At a time when plans to raise a statue of Patel that will
eclipse the Statue of Liberty are on, documents available with The
Sunday Standard show Patel adhering to the government decision to
persecute the RSS. Government employees were trailed, arrested and
jailed; students watched, arrested and accused for being RSS
sympathisers and even those acquitted of any involvement were summarily
dismissed from their jobs.
MASS PERSECUTION
A secret file
(No. F-74(1)-P/48) reveals government employees were under surveillance
from Intelligence Bureau (IB) spies and suspended from their jobs on
the suspicion that they were RSS sympathisers. Another government file
(No. 68-P/48-A) notes the IB was tasked to shadow all those suspected to
have RSS links, including students as young as 15, who were watched by
CID personnel of their states. This was exactly what happened during the
Emergency, when according to L K Advani’s A Prisoner’s Scrap Book
around 105,000 RSS members were arrested as well as 8,000 satyagrahis
who demonstrated against the draconian laws of the time. The secret file
includes a letter trail from states informing that spy agency
officials, including G K Handoo, who as Inspector General of Police, UP,
and R N Kao, who later become the first chief of R&AW, about action
taken against the suspects. Though the probe into Gandhi’s murder gave a
clean chit to RSS, thousands of its members were hounded and imprisoned
because of the ban.
(No. F-74(1)-P/48) reveals government employees were under surveillance
from Intelligence Bureau (IB) spies and suspended from their jobs on
the suspicion that they were RSS sympathisers. Another government file
(No. 68-P/48-A) notes the IB was tasked to shadow all those suspected to
have RSS links, including students as young as 15, who were watched by
CID personnel of their states. This was exactly what happened during the
Emergency, when according to L K Advani’s A Prisoner’s Scrap Book
around 105,000 RSS members were arrested as well as 8,000 satyagrahis
who demonstrated against the draconian laws of the time. The secret file
includes a letter trail from states informing that spy agency
officials, including G K Handoo, who as Inspector General of Police, UP,
and R N Kao, who later become the first chief of R&AW, about action
taken against the suspects. Though the probe into Gandhi’s murder gave a
clean chit to RSS, thousands of its members were hounded and imprisoned
because of the ban.
PATEL’S QUANDARY
Sardar Patel, who is
said to have a sympathetic approach towards the RSS, had to toe the line
of the government when a unanimous decision to ban RSS was taken by the
government. Patel had held a meeting with Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar,
the legendary Sarsanghchalak of the Hindu organisation who had requested
for a meeting with Nehru but the latter had refused to meet him. The
Government of Kolhapur through a letter dated December 22 , 1948
informed the Central Government that it caught “a RSS Volunteer
Sidheshwar Sharma Ashtekar red-handed while distributing leaflets in
Marathi entitled ‘Our view Point’ purported to be published by MPB Dani,
Head Organiser of the RSS. He was arrested by the City Police under the
Kolhapur Criminal Law Amendment Act.” The leaflet translated and
enclosed with the letter suggested that Golwalkar met Sardar Patel to
discuss the “RSS ban” issue. During the meeting, he requested the first
Home Minister if he can meet the Prime Minister. A message was sent to
Nehru, but he refused to meet Golwalkar citing his busy schedule after
return from a trip and also arguing that “nothing will come out of the
meeting”. In August 2009, the then Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha
Advani had said at a BJP chintan baithak in Shimla that Sardar Patel
had acted against the RSS and arrested its leaders after Gandhi’s
assassination “under pressure from Jawaharlal Nehru.”
said to have a sympathetic approach towards the RSS, had to toe the line
of the government when a unanimous decision to ban RSS was taken by the
government. Patel had held a meeting with Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar,
the legendary Sarsanghchalak of the Hindu organisation who had requested
for a meeting with Nehru but the latter had refused to meet him. The
Government of Kolhapur through a letter dated December 22 , 1948
informed the Central Government that it caught “a RSS Volunteer
Sidheshwar Sharma Ashtekar red-handed while distributing leaflets in
Marathi entitled ‘Our view Point’ purported to be published by MPB Dani,
Head Organiser of the RSS. He was arrested by the City Police under the
Kolhapur Criminal Law Amendment Act.” The leaflet translated and
enclosed with the letter suggested that Golwalkar met Sardar Patel to
discuss the “RSS ban” issue. During the meeting, he requested the first
Home Minister if he can meet the Prime Minister. A message was sent to
Nehru, but he refused to meet Golwalkar citing his busy schedule after
return from a trip and also arguing that “nothing will come out of the
meeting”. In August 2009, the then Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha
Advani had said at a BJP chintan baithak in Shimla that Sardar Patel
had acted against the RSS and arrested its leaders after Gandhi’s
assassination “under pressure from Jawaharlal Nehru.”
SCORCHED EARTH POLICY
HVR
Iyenger, who was the Home Secretary in 1948, wrote to all states on
December 12 that year, to suspend and arrest government employees even
if they are found to be watching a procession of RSS on the street.
Iyenger, who was the Home Secretary in 1948, wrote to all states on
December 12 that year, to suspend and arrest government employees even
if they are found to be watching a procession of RSS on the street.
Excerpts From Official Files
Surveillance on Children
“It
has been reported that a few students of the local school (five of
Class X and eight-10 of lower classes) have sympathies with the
organisation and are found absent from school,” a letter from Deputy
Chief Commissioner Office, Bilaspur, Dec 21, 1948 on the outcome of
surveillance
has been reported that a few students of the local school (five of
Class X and eight-10 of lower classes) have sympathies with the
organisation and are found absent from school,” a letter from Deputy
Chief Commissioner Office, Bilaspur, Dec 21, 1948 on the outcome of
surveillance
Action Against Officials
“Watching RSS
demonstration amounts to expression of sympathy with RSS and would
render them (government officials) liable to departmental action.” HVR
Iyenger, Home Secretary, Dec 12, 1948
demonstration amounts to expression of sympathy with RSS and would
render them (government officials) liable to departmental action.” HVR
Iyenger, Home Secretary, Dec 12, 1948
Gag Order on Media
“Immediate
steps be taken by persuasion to see that news relating to RSS
activities, arrests etc is not published under bold or prominent
headlines and is consigned to unimportant portion of newspapers,” HVR
Ienger, Home Secretary, Dec 12, 1948
steps be taken by persuasion to see that news relating to RSS
activities, arrests etc is not published under bold or prominent
headlines and is consigned to unimportant portion of newspapers,” HVR
Ienger, Home Secretary, Dec 12, 1948
Crackdown
“81
government servants and 247 students arrested. Orders for suspension
have been issued,” V Vishwanathan, Chief Secretary Madhya Bharat to
Central Government, Dec 24, 1948
government servants and 247 students arrested. Orders for suspension
have been issued,” V Vishwanathan, Chief Secretary Madhya Bharat to
Central Government, Dec 24, 1948
“Two government servants (1)
Prabhakar Ganesh Pujari alias Rajopadhye, clerk in the city post office,
and (2) Ganesh Shankar Kulkarni, clerk in the office of the secretary,
were arrested and detained,” Administrator Kolhapur state letter, Dec
24, 1948
Prabhakar Ganesh Pujari alias Rajopadhye, clerk in the city post office,
and (2) Ganesh Shankar Kulkarni, clerk in the office of the secretary,
were arrested and detained,” Administrator Kolhapur state letter, Dec
24, 1948
Intelligence Bureau’s Most Wanted
“Attached is a
list of RSS workers who are reported to-date to have gone underground.
It is requested that a watch may kindly be kept for them,” Intelligence
Bureau Deputy Director G K Handoo to states, March 30, 1948
list of RSS workers who are reported to-date to have gone underground.
It is requested that a watch may kindly be kept for them,” Intelligence
Bureau Deputy Director G K Handoo to states, March 30, 1948
“In
continuation of this Bureau’s circular memorandum No. 56/D.G/48 (2),
dated 8.5.48, enclosed is a further list of RSS workers, who are
reported to have gone underground,” D K Krishna, Intelligence Bureau’s
Assistant Director, June 2, 1948
continuation of this Bureau’s circular memorandum No. 56/D.G/48 (2),
dated 8.5.48, enclosed is a further list of RSS workers, who are
reported to have gone underground,” D K Krishna, Intelligence Bureau’s
Assistant Director, June 2, 1948
PM Refused to Meet Golwalkar
A leaflet ‘Our View Point’, seized from Kolhapur, claimed M S Golwalkar
met Sardar Patel to discuss the “RSS ban” issue. During the meeting, he
requested Patel if he could meet Prime Minister Nehru. It claimed that
Nehru refused to meet Golwalkar saying that “nothing will come out of
the meeting”.
met Sardar Patel to discuss the “RSS ban” issue. During the meeting, he
requested Patel if he could meet Prime Minister Nehru. It claimed that
Nehru refused to meet Golwalkar saying that “nothing will come out of
the meeting”.
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