The New York Times (NYT) has published a comprehensive report revealing the deep-rooted influence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) over Indian politics, shedding light on its long history and its connection to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). According to the report, the BJP functions as the political wing of the RSS, advancing a broader agenda of Hindu nationalism and shaping India’s trajectory toward a Hindu state.
Tracing its origins back to 1925, the NYT report highlights that the RSS was founded on ideologies influenced by Hitler, with training camps emphasizing religious intolerance and militaristic discipline. The organization’s history includes acts of political violence, most notably the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948, carried out by an RSS-linked extremist over issues related to minority rights. Over the decades, the RSS has leveraged Hindu extremism into a potent electoral strategy, shaping India’s political landscape.
The report asserts that the BJP is no longer a conventional political party but a political manifestation of the RSS’s century-long agenda, with anti-Muslim sentiment and Hindu extremist ideology now embedded within state mechanisms. Since 2014, the NYT notes, the party has actively pursued policies aimed at transforming secular India into a Hindu Rashtra, a strategy evident in the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, the demolition of the Babri Masjid and construction of the Ram Mandir, and systematic targeting of religious minorities.
Furthermore, the NYT report claims that extremist elements have infiltrated India’s state institutions, including education, media, judiciary, and security structures. It suggests that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, despite his political stature, functions more as a committed RSS operative than an independent national leader, advancing the organization’s ideological objectives.
The report calls attention to the broader implications of the RSS-BJP nexus, warning that the consolidation of Hindu nationalist ideology within the state poses significant challenges to India’s secular foundations and its social cohesion. It underscores the need for both national and international awareness of the growing influence of extremist ideologies in shaping governance, minority rights, and democratic institutions in the region.
