Book review on 'RSS : evolution from an organization to a movement'

Bhattacharjee, Malini (2021) Book review on 'RSS : evolution from an organization to a movement'. IndiaChapter.in. pp. 1-2.

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Abstract

In recent times, there has been a renewed interest about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), arguably India’s most controversial organization. A host of books, commentaries and articles have been dedicated towards understanding it’s ideology, modus operandi and its vision of Hindu Rashtra. While navigating through this enormous and diverse variety of literature, one comes across broadly two kinds of work about the Sangh, as it is popularly known. The most prominent and easily available resources are those that have painted the organization in poor light and have been authored by ‘left-liberal’ academics. Though some of these studies are fairly rigorous they have often used labels such as ‘fundamentalist’, ‘fascist’, ‘communal’ and ‘anti-minority’ to describe the organization, without adequately acknowledging its compassionate or humanitarian dimensions. The other body of work, which has been primarily written by swayamsevaks (RSS volunteers) themselves and mostly available in regional languages, is largely hagiographic and often does not engage in any social-scientific analysis.

Item Type: Article
Authors: Bhattacharjee, Malini
Uncontrolled Keywords: Book review, RSS, Makarand Paranjape, Sarsanghchalak
Subjects: Social sciences > Political Science
Divisions: Azim Premji University > School of Public Policy and Governance
Full Text Status: Public
URI: http://publications.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/id/eprint/2567
Publisher URL: https://www.indiachapter.in/user/article/2/34,53/1...

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