The RSS’s ‘Modified’ Swadeshi
An RSS chief justifying foreign direct investment (FDI) and even disinvestment, even if it is to beef up the economy, would have been unthinkable a few years ago. Speaking at the Sangh headquarters in Nagpur on October 8, the auspicious day of Vijayadashami, sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat’s speech had more than a few surprises. It was a fine balancing act, with fulsome praise for the Narendra Modi government but also words of caution. While supporting FDI and disinvestment, Bhagwat urged the Modi government to not yield too much in its trade negotiations with the US or the multilateral partners of the proposed
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a rainbow trade grouping of 10 Southeast Asian nations and six trading partners in the region, including China.
The RSS chief, who believes the present crisis is merely a slowdown and not an economy in recession, commended the corrective measures taken by the government and urged citizens not to indulge in undue criticism. The note of caution about the trade pact comes at a time when RSS affiliates like the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh and Laghu Udyog Bharati are up in arms, especially over RCEP. In fact, the SJM is planning nationwide protests, the first protest by a Sangh affiliate organisation against Modi 2.0. “As Bhagwatji has reiterated, officials negotiating RCEP are pushing India into an unequal and disastrous treaty... all in the name of free trade. This needs to be stopped,” says Ashwani Mahajan, the SJM national convenor. The swadeshi critics of RCEP believe it will hurt domestic industry and farmers, with cheaper goods being dumped in India by partner countries. And the trade bodies agree. “India is already at a disadvantage in trade with countries like China, and the RCEP will widen that disparity with zero-duty imports,” says Ajay Sahai, director-general of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO). “There will be immense disparities in prices on products imported and those made in the country for domestic use.”
But Bhagwat has made his stand clear—swadeshi doesn’t mean looking inward or living in isolation. “We have to formulate our own economic vision keeping in mind our requirements, profile, the condition of our people, our resources and our potential to realise our national aspirations,” he had said.
The RSS chief ’s public backing comes as much-needed relief to the NDA regime, which is lining up several PSE disinvestments, including that of oil marketing company BPCL and national carrier Air India. Ironically, this comes even as the RSS observes the centenary year of SJM founder Dattopant Thengadi next year who, during his lifetime, fought tooth and nail against the Vajpayee regime, even to the extent of calling the government’s attempts to open up the economy a “criminal act”.
Bhagwat’s balancing act is also a measure of how the RSS-BJP relationship has evolved since the Vajpayee era 15 years ago. Also, the maturity the Sangh organisation has acquired when it comes to addressing complex issues such as the economy.
Some things are still unacceptable, though. There was anger at the minority community leadership and Left-leaning bodies for using the “lynching incidents to defame the RSS and the Hindu Samaj”, although attempts were also made to dispel the impression that the RSS was anti-Muslim. Towards that end, the organisation has made overtures to the community over the past three years. ■
While supporting FDI, disinvestment, Bhagwat urged the Modi government to not yield too much in its trade negotiations