The RSS: Icons of the Indian Right

by Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay

Upadhyaya was loathe to the idea of fighting elections and grabbing political power as the means to an end of a political party’s existence—social transformation was the kernel of Deendayal’s political philosophy, which he viewed as the ultimate objective. He was not only exacting towards party colleagues who were obsessed with the pursuance of power, but curiously, even ordinary voters. In 1955, he wrote in the Organiser: We do not have to amass popular support but only of those who can follow our ideals…we do not simply want popular support, it must be an idealistic popular support. His obduracy towards accepting the realities of electoral politics notwithstanding, Deendayal considered even political movements or agitations as deterrents for coercing the State into accepting sundry demands, however unfair. He recommended that dissent of such nature should act as tools for furthering a party’s ideology and for securing greater support, than merely as issue-based endorsements. His recommendation of avoiding confrontational politics also extended to Opposition parties who he felt were perennially in conflict with the government of the day.