RSS hopes to recover lost ground riding the baba wave

Outlook Magazine, May 30, 2011


Deep Breathing Ramdev feels the RSS can help his political ambitions

Sangh Parivar: Baba Ramdev

The R + RSS Formula

In a conscious decision, RSS hopes to recover lost ground riding the baba wave

Prarthna Gahilote



Knight And Bishop

RSS Offer

* Support Ramdev's campaign from the outside
* Lend swayamsevaks to mobilise people
* Provide logistical support

Ramdev's Role

* Become a star campaigner endorsing the BJP's campaign
* Back good candidates. Support and patronise the BJP/RSS
* Possibly launch a political party

****

If insiders are to be believed, then the RSS decision to support yoga guru/godman Baba Ramdev in his anti-corruption campaign has more than what meets the eye. It was not simply the desire to participate in a ‘nationalist’ movement that brought forth vocal endorsement for Ramdev from the otherwise cautious Sangh. Not one to support causes easily, sources say the saffron outfit has done some serious calculation, thoroughly thinking out the political repercussions of such a move.

So, for now, the plan rolled out has been kept simple: support Ramdev’s campaign against corruption from the outside, lend swayamsevaks to mobilise people for the movement, ensure the popular yoga guru is available as a star campaigner who endorses and supports the BJP’s agenda and helps consolidate the Hindutva movement.

A large section within the Sangh firmly believes this would reap results. As a senior pracharak told Outlook, “The Sangh needs a strong force that can take up the issue of corruption which has huge resonance among the electorate. The BJP has failed to find a connect with people even over the issue of corruption in the last one year. This is where Baba Ramdev’s Bharatiya Swabhiman Andolan can come in handy. The Sangh wants to consolidate its constituency in the Hindi belt, which is also Baba Ramdev’s stronghold. Naturally, aligning with him will be helpful, particularly when the BJP faces a crisis of sorts in UP, slated to go to polls in 2012.”

It’s a plan the Sangh has been working on since September last year. It has expended much energy on building consensus over supporting Baba Ramdev’s campaign both within the parivar and the BJP. Even as the latter remained unsure about the dividends this would bring, the Sangh made calculated progress, holding many rounds of meetings with the yoga guru to fine-tune a plan. Insiders confirm that the offer to float a forum against corruption first came from the baba to the RSS last year. The Sangh then held discussions with BJP president Nitin Gadkari and senior leader L.K. Advani in October 2010. In January 2011, the discussions got more intensive. As the BJP voiced its reservations over a “direct clash of interest in case Baba Ramdev floated a political party”, the Sangh created a formula to suit both sides.

So, even as it assured the BJP that Ramdev would not be given any support in case he decided to float a political party, it was made amply clear to the party that the opportunity could not be lost considering the yoga guru had the support of the middle class and Hindus. Meanwhile, the Sangh communicated to Ramdev that “the RSS had unilaterally decided that he would be given all support possible till he floats a party of his own”. In April, soon after Anna Hazare began his fast unto death over the Lokpal Bill, Baba Ramdev travelled to Nagpur to hold the final round of meetings with RSS sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat and senior functionary Bhaiyaji Joshi.


Operation UP Mohan Bhagwat, others of the RSS think they can capitalise on Ramdev’s popularity. (Photograph by Jitender Gupta)

It was at this meeting in Nagpur that the unanimous decision was taken to launch Baba Ramdev’s Bhrashtachar Mitao Satyagraha from June 4. Former RSS ideologue K.N. Govindacharya was roped in as Ramdev’s political advisor and a plan to begin the satyagraha next month from the Ramlila Grounds in Delhi was chalked out.




“The BJP has failed to connect with people even on corruption. That’s where Ramdev’s andolan can be handy.”


Needless to say, the RSS cadre believes that by backing Ramdev, the Sangh and the BJP will get as much traction as it got by supporting the JP movement. Says a senior RSS leader, “You have to look at the complete picture. It wasn’t without reason that the RSS, after first deciding not to support Anna Hazare, sent in a written letter of support to Jantar Mantar. The Sangh chose three of its senior functionaries—Ram Madhav, Madhubhai Kulkarni and Bajrang Lal Gupta—to deliver the letter. The significance of that cannot possibly be missed. The Sangh was sending out a clear message: The corruption issue matters to them. It’s not an issue that the Sangh wants to let go of.”

On his part, Ramdev has offered a three-point plan to the Sangh. Ramdev’s own outfit will throw its weight behind good candidates. Two, it shall support and patronise a political party it identifies with; and three, it ultimately launches a political party of its own which would go along with the BJP. The importance of Ramdev’s offer is not entirely lost on the BJP. Late April at a gathering in Delhi, while sharing the stage with Baba Ramdev, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani endorsed Ramdev’s campaign: “Corruption has struck at the roots of faith in this country. The faith in democracy is in danger today. Baba Ramdev’s movement will help us get over this crisis.”

“The numbers have been worked out,” says a close associate of Ramdev. “On an average, we will have at least 50,000 people at the Ramlila grounds everyday till the dharna lasts. We have 80,000 yoga centres all over the country. People have been mobilised to participate in the fast and dharna all across these centres. Even if 10 people per centre come out and fast with us, we will have eight lakh people fasting everyday,” he adds. To that, factor in the 2.5 lakh panchayats that Baba Ramdev has been working on in the last two months, and you can see the numbers are staggering. “Village committees have been formed in these 2.5 lakh panchayats. That alone will give us 10 lakh supporters,” points out Baba Ramdev’s associate.

It’s these numbers that give the proposed partnership an allure for the BJP and Sangh. Insiders confirm, “Even if half these numbers materialise, we would achieve what BJP’s anti-corruption campaign against the UPA could not do.” Last summer, BJP president Gadkari had led a procession against corruption hoping it would gather some momentum. A year later, this summer, the BJP and Sangh together hope that Ramdev’s movement will give the party the necessary fillip required to give new impetus to an also-ran campaign.