Focus on social inclusion as RSS, affiliates meet kicks off

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 31

The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) on Saturday commenced a key three-day closed door meeting with its 32 affiliated organisations, including the political wing BJP, to chalk out areas of focus for the future and discuss better coordination prospects.

Sangh supremo Mohan Bhagwat and general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale (widely seen as Bhagwat’s successor) are presiding over the meeting which will conclude on September 2.

BJP national president JP Nadda, general secretary (organisation) BL Santosh and joint general secretary (organisation) Shiv Prakash are representing the BJP in the meeting.

National presidents and national general secretaries of all Sangh-inspired organisations are attending the gathering, where the ABVP, VHP, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Swadeshi Jagran Manch, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and other RSS protege outfits will be represented.

This will be the first RSS, BJP national-level meeting after the ruling party under Prime Minister Narendra Modi won a third term at the Centre, but without a simple majority on its own, marking India’s returned to the coalition era after a decade-long break.

The BJP will present its report card to the Sangh and the two are expected to discuss sticking points and areas with scope for improvement. The saffron party has been struggling with an opposition powered narrative on Scheduled Castes since the Lok Sabha poll cycle campaign.

The opposition accusation that the NDA wanted 400 seats to dilute constitutional quotas had gone home, damaging the BJP’s prospects in key seats. Reigning angst of farmers against the BJP remains another area of concern.

Issues of accessibility of the BJP leadership, perceived arrogance of its brass may also come up, along with the government’s stand on the safety of Bangladeshi Hindus. The RSS has independently approached the UN Human Rights Council, demanding a fact-finding mission on minority status in Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina’s fall.

Sources said the issue of safety of Bangladeshi Hindus and the steps that the ruling party can take in this regard will be discussed at the meeting, where social inclusion would also be a major agenda at a time when the opposition is keen to target the BJP as anti-Dalit.

The opposition’s recent offensive against the government’s plans to hire private experts for key middle-level positions without offering reservations to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and OBCs had preceded a withdrawal of the lateral entry move.

The issue of broader political strategy on the Congress-led opposition’s push for caste census will also figure in the RSS-BJP discussions.