National History:
Bharatiya Janata Party is today the most prominent member of the family of organisations known as the “Sangh Parivar”. Sanghs of swayamsevaks have of course always shaken off that criticism like so much water off a duck’s back. They have never had any doubt that the organisation is wedded to national unity, national integrity, national identity and national strength through indi
vidual character and national character. And today this organisation is poised for a great leap forward. Even its long- time detractors think and say that now BJP is “unstoppable”.What is the story of this national epic? History is the philosophy of nations. And the Sangh Parivar has a very clear and candid conception of Indian history. Here was a great civilization whose glory spread from Sri Lanka to Java and Japan and from Tibet and Mangolia to China and Siberia. While it weathered the storms of Huns and Shakas and Greeks it wilted before the Islamic storms of the Turks. However, a 1000-year resistance saw this country bloodied but unbowed. Its civilization survived through the heroic efforts of the Vijayanagar Empire and of Shivaji, Rana Pratap and Guru Govind Singh and countless heroes and martyrs. In more recent times this torch was picked up by Swami Dayanand and Swami Vivekanada. And in the present century the good work has been carried on by Sri Aurobindo, Lokmanya Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi and others. The RSS, founded by Dr Hedgewar in 1925 and consolidated by Shri Guruji after 1940, is the heir to this heroic, historic heritage. It has nothing against Muslim Indians – as distinguished from Muslim invaders. Its position on this issue has all along been: “Justice for all and appeasement of none”. But it has no doubt that we were and are a Hindu nation; that change of faith cannot mean change of nationality.
