Of Symbols and Sovereignty: The Political Firestorm Over Honoring the RSS 

The decision by the BJP-led central government to issue a commemorative stamp and ₹100 coin for the RSS centenary has sparked a major political confrontation, with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condemning the move as a “grave insult to the Constitution.” Launching his critique on Gandhi Jayanti, Vijayan argued that the act legitimizes an organization that abstained from the freedom struggle and promoted a divisive ideology, while directly assaulting the memory of genuine freedom fighters and India’s secular foundation.

He framed the honoring of the RSS, which was banned after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, as a profound symbolic violation and part of a larger attempt to rewrite history by supplanting Gandhi with RSS ideologue Savarkar, warning that it represents an existential threat to India’s secular polity and marginalized communities from the forces of “combative right-wing Hindu nationalism.”

Of Symbols and Sovereignty: The Political Firestorm Over Honoring the RSS 

In a move that has ignited a fresh political conflagration, the Union Government’s decision to issue a commemorative postage stamp and a ₹100 coin for the centenary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has been met with a fierce denunciation from Kerala, framing a battle over history, legacy, and the very soul of the Indian Republic. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s sharp critique, delivered pointedly on the hallowed occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, transcends typical political opposition. It represents a fundamental clash of narratives, questioning which ideologies and organizations are deemed worthy of national honor and what version of India they ultimately represent. 

The Heart of the Contention: A “Grave Insult to the Constitution” 

For Pinarayi Vijayan and the CPI(M), the government’s act is not merely a disagreement over policy but a profound symbolic violation. The core of the accusation lies in the claim that by bestowing a “national honour” upon the RSS, the state is legitimizing an organization whose historical role and ideological foundations are, in their view, antithetical to the constitutional values that bind the nation. 

The criticism is built on several key pillars: 

• Abstention from the Freedom Struggle: A long-standing historical critique of the RSS is its perceived absence from the mainstream independence movement led by the Indian National Congress. Vijayan’s statement reinforces this, accusing the organization of having “abstained from the freedom struggle.” This, coupled with the charge of “promoting a divisive ideology that aligned with the colonial strategy (of divide and rule),” paints a picture of an entity that stood apart from, or even counter to, the unified nationalistic spirit that the Constitution seeks to embody. 

• The Shadow of the Mahatma’s Assassination: The timing and context of the announcement are crucial to understanding the vehemence of the response. By making this statement on Gandhi Jayanti, Vijayan directly invokes the most potent weapon in the ideological arsenal against the RSS: the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. He explicitly states that “Hindu majoritarian extremists had shot Mahatma Gandhi dead for defending secularism and democracy,” and reminds the public that the RSS was “proscribed after the Gandhi assassination.” This creates a powerful dissonance: honoring, on the eve of the Father of the Nation’s birthday, an organization that was once banned for its alleged links to his murder. 

• The Ideological Battle: Gandhi vs. Savarkar: Vijayan’s statement goes beyond historical events to frame an ongoing ideological war. He accuses the Central government of “seek[ing] to rewrite history by attempting to supplant Gandhi with Vinayak Damodar Savarkar.” This is a significant charge. It posits that the government is not just honoring a group but actively engineering a shift in the national pantheon, replacing the apostle of non-violence and pluralism with a proponent of Hindutva, who himself faced trial in the assassination case. The commemorative stamp and coin, in this reading, are tools in a larger project of historical revisionism. 

Beyond Kerala: A National Debate on Secularism 

While the Kerala CM’s voice is particularly strident, the sentiment echoes concerns held by other opposition parties, civil society groups, and intellectuals who view the rise of the BJP as inextricably linked to the organizational and ideological muscle of the RSS. The issue taps into a deep-seated anxiety about the direction of India’s secular polity. 

The term “combative right-wing Hindu nationalism,” used by Vijayan, is not just rhetoric; it encapsulates a fear that the idea of India as a union of diverse, equal communities is being supplanted by a vision of a majoritarian Hindu state. His characterization of the RSS as aspiring for a “Hindu theocracy” that adheres to an “oppressive caste system” and views minorities as “subaltern citizens” is a stark warning of what he perceives as an existential threat to the country’s foundational diversity. 

The Other Side of the Coin: The Government and RSS Perspective 

To fully comprehend the controversy, it is essential to consider the perspective of the government and the RSS. From their viewpoint, the commemoration is a long-overdue recognition of a vast socio-cultural organization that has contributed immensely to nation-building. 

• A Century of Service: The RSS frames its work not in political terms but as a movement dedicated to cultural and social regeneration. It points to its network of affiliates working in education, disaster relief, and social service (like the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram or Sewa Bharati) as evidence of its positive role in society. 

• Reclaiming Nationalism: Supporters argue that the RSS’s brand of cultural nationalism is a legitimate and integral part of the Indian freedom narrative, distinct from the Congress-led movement. They reject the “abstention” charge, pointing to individuals inspired by its ideology who were involved in the struggle, and argue that its focus was on building a resilient society from the ground up. 

• Mainstream Acceptance: For the BJP, issuing these commemoratives is a symbolic act of bringing its ideological parent into the mainstream of national life. After decades on the political margins, the ascendance of the BJP represents an opportunity to normalize the RSS and cement its place as a pillar of Indian society, not an outlier. 

A Blurred Line and a Political Warning 

An intriguing part of Vijayan’s broadside was his critique of the Indian National Congress. By stating that the “ideological line between the Congress and the RSS was increasingly blurred” and that an “array of Congress leaders from the early days… had an affinity for RSS ideology,” he performs a dual maneuver. First, it serves as a historical indictment of the principal opposition party, questioning its secular credentials. Second, and more strategically, it positions the CPI(M) as the only uncompromising bulwark against majoritarian forces, arguing that Congress’s “profound ideological ambiguity” ultimately paved the way for the BJP’s rise. 

This is not just about the past; it is a live political warning. By flagging an “existential threat” to minorities and marginalized sections, Vijayan is mobilizing his base and appealing to a broader anti-BJP constituency, presenting the LDF in Kerala as the last line of defense for constitutional values. 

Conclusion: When Stamps and Coins Become Political Artillery 

The controversy over the RSS commemoratives is a potent reminder that in a diverse democracy like India, symbols are never just symbols. They are carriers of history, ideology, and political intent. A postage stamp, a small piece of adhesive paper, and a coin, a commonplace item of currency, become artillery in a war over the nation’s memory and its future. 

Pinarayi Vijayan’s forceful condemnation has ensured that this government action will not pass as a mere ceremonial event. It has been transformed into a national debate, forcing citizens to confront uncomfortable questions: Who is a true freedom fighter? What is the definitive idea of India? And whose legacy deserves to be minted onto the very instruments of the state? The answers to these questions will continue to define India’s turbulent political landscape long after the commemorative stamps have been licked and stuck, and the coins have entered circulation.