As the RSS enters its second century, how would you assess its historical evolution, and what enduring contributions do you believe it has made to India’s social, cultural, and political development?
RSS is the backbone of Indian civil society, and it lends India some of its top political leadership. It helps uplift countless poor by giving them education, skills and a path for a brighter future
It has historically developed from an upper caste movement to a broadband broad-based Hindu big tent that unites and organizes large ever-increasing portions of Hindu society.
International perceptions of the RSS have often varied, with some Western commentators viewing the organisation through a critical lens. Yet you have described the RSS as a “hundred-year-young” movement. Could you elaborate on this characterisation and explain what distinguishes your perspective from more conventional interpretations?
100 years young movement was the title of the book that tried to stress RSS’s dynamism and vitality. My standpoint is that first of all, I attempt to assess the hard facts. I think most Western commentators come from an overtly hostile viewpoint, and they will not let any facts confuse them. The facts are that RSS has played many positive roles: protecting Hindus during riots and unrest, doing social work among many of the poorest segments of Hindu society, and creating for India a meritocratic leadership based on excellence, rather than privilege. Beyond that, yes, I am favorable to the RSS worldview. I view the core ideology of a motherland, Holyland and civilization as a positive force in Indian society.
As a scholar who has extensively studied Zionism, Hindutva, Evangelical movements, and Political Islam, where do you see the most significant intellectual or ideological points of convergence between Hindutva and Zionism?
I see a significant convergence along the lines of the central themes of ideal Hindutva ideology: motherland, Holyland, and civilization. Two ancient magnificent civilizations that had been attacked and subjugated by Christians and Muslims rulers and are now rising once again to greatness. I also see, a broader convergence with Western conservatives including Evangelicals, along shared spiritual core and moral values of God, family and country. I hope this global alliance can be built in the future.
Against the backdrop of shifting global affairs and evolving geopolitical alignments, why are Hindu-Jewish relations attracting greater attention today? What strategic and civilizational factors underpin this development?
One reason is that these relations are new. Historically our nations had relatively little contact and now we are close strategic allies. Both our civilizations are outsiders to Western Christian civilization.
On a strategic level, we share common threats from radical Islamic terrorists and rogue states aligned with Western progressives. Israel gives India critical military technology and military assistance. Hopefully, Israel will assist India in developing an indigenous deep tech ecosystem and in reaching Western markets, and India will allow Israel the industrial scale for development and implementation of Israeli technological R&D.
