NEW DELHI, India: India has lifted a long-standing ban that prohibited civil servants from joining the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a far-right Hindu nationalist organization linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The ban, in place since 1966, was initially enacted to prevent government employees from associating with the RSS and Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist group.
The RSS, which boasts millions of members, advocates for India to be declared a Hindu nation, a vision that contradicts the secular principles enshrined in India’s constitution.
The organization is known for its paramilitary drills, prayer meetings, and campaigns promoting Hindu nationalism. Several prominent BJP leaders, including Modi, began their political careers within the RSS.
The recent government memo, made public by BJP publicity chief Amit Malviya, announces the removal of the RSS mention from the civil service rules, branding the old rule as “unconstitutional.” The new directive does not address the status of Jamaat-e-Islami, leaving its restrictions in place.
Opposition leaders, such as Jairam Ramesh of the Congress party, criticized the amendment, suggesting it symbolizes a shift towards accommodating the RSS’s ideology within the bureaucracy. Historically, the RSS has faced bans, including after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by a former member. The lifting of this ban signifies a significant change in the relationship between India’s government and the RSS.
