The lead editorial in the latest issue of CPM mouthpiece People’s Democracy traces the roots of Hindu militancy in the context of the recent arrests of Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur along with two RSS workers in connection with the Malegaon bomb blasts.

It says the issue of imparting militant training to Hindus in India has a long history and quotes B.D. Savarkar’s slogan of the 1930s “Hinduise all politics and militarise Hindudom” to back its argument. “Inspired by this (Savarkar’s slogan), Dr B.S. Moonje, mentor of RSS founder Dr Hegdewar, travelled to Italy to meet fascist dictator, Mussolini in 1931. His personal diary notes of March 20 reveal his fascination and admiration of the manner in which Italian fascism was training its youth (read storm-troopers) militarily,” says the editorial.

“ Golwalkar, in 1939, exults Hitler’s purging of the Jews under Nazi fascism and says that it is “a good lesson for us in Hindustan to learn and profit by”, it adds.

More recently, it says “the RSS tentacles, VHP and Bajrang Dal, had publicly prided themselves at the training imparted to ‘kar sevaks’”, following the demolition of the Babri Masjid. The article also contests L.K. Advani’s statement comparing Sadhvi Pragya with Nathuram Godse to claim that RSS cannot be held responsible for her action she was not a present member.

“ The point has to do with the venomous ideological indoctrination that the RSS and its affiliates undertake which nurtures and promotes such violent militancy,” it notes. It says the RSS always talks about Islamic terrorism and its pleas not to use the term Hindu militancy or terrorism has only brought out the double standards adopted by it.

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