•Ruchika Talwar: The RSS used to have a strong presence and influence in Punjab till a few decades ago. People used to attend shakhas in the morning. The practice is no longer prevalent. Has the Punjabi sympathiser moved away from the RSS?

Madan Das Devi: If that was true why does Punjab have the maximum number of MLAs who support us? Indications of weakening support for us are nil. Going to shakhas is another matter. Shakha is selfless work for which there should be a higher motivation, not the motivation of winning elections. The RSS shakhas make people aware of their duty towards their work and the nation. That’s going on everywhere. The work of shakhas has been shifted to rural areas now.

•Ruchika Talwar: Most of your sympathisers were from influential Hindu families of Punjab. They weren’t economically backward.

Madan Das Devi: That was earlier. Now you’ll find shakhas in slums or backwards areas. In cities, we don’t have any. Instead, we have weekly meetings or cyber shakhas. In Bangalore, for instance, there are 40 cyber shakhas with 800 members. It’s a different way of functioning.

•Unni Rajen Shanker: How does the BJP-RSS relationship work?

Madan Das Devi: Our swayam sewaks have taken to different walks of life. Some swayam sewaks were asked for by other organisations. Every organisation is autonomous. They are not supposed to depend on the RSS for anything — finances or decision-making. So that is how we function. We have cordial relations with the BJP. The RSS is not a party. It is not in government or in power. Vajpayee, Advani, Ashok Singhal are swayam sewaks and they say so openly. They have a moral authority. Sometimes the BJP consults the RSS, but the RSS doesn’t run the BJP. The BJP runs the BJP. They call us and we attend their meeting sometimes. We understand it’s a nationalist organisation and serves the nation’s causes.

... contd.