Sangh Parivar
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The Sangh Parivar (
translation Translation is the communication of the semantics, meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The English la ...
: "Family of the RSS" or the "RSS family") is an
umbrella term Hypernymy and hyponymy are the wikt:Wiktionary:Semantic relations, semantic relations between a generic term (''hypernym'') and a more specific term (''hyponym''). The hypernym is also called a ''supertype'', ''umbrella term'', or ''blanket term ...
for the collection of Hindutva organisations spawned by the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS,, ) is an Indian right-wing politics, right-wing, Hindutva, Hindu nationalist volunteer paramilitary organisation. It is the progenitor and leader of a large body of organisations called the Sangh Parivar ( ...
(RSS), which remain affiliated to it. These include the political party
Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...
, religious organisation
Vishva Hindu Parishad Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) () is an Indian Right-wing politics, right-wing Hindu organisation based on Hindutva, Hindu nationalism. The VHP was founded in 1964 by M. S. Golwalkar and S. S. Apte in collaboration with Chinmayananda Saraswati, ...
, students union Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), religious militant organisation Bajrang Dal that forms the youth wing of the
Vishva Hindu Parishad Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) () is an Indian Right-wing politics, right-wing Hindu organisation based on Hindutva, Hindu nationalism. The VHP was founded in 1964 by M. S. Golwalkar and S. S. Apte in collaboration with Chinmayananda Saraswati, ...
(VHP), and the worker's union Bharatiya Kisan Sangh. The Sangh Parivar represents the Hindu nationalist movement of India. Members of the Sangh Parivar or the supporters of its ideology are often referred to as Sanghis.


History

In the 1960s, the volunteers of the RSS joined the different social and political movements in India, including the Bhoodan, a land reform movement led by prominent Gandhian Vinobha Bhave and the Sarvodaya led by another Gandhian Jayaprakash Narayan.Martha Craven Nussbaum, The Clash Within: Democracy, Religious Violence, and India's Future, Published by Harvard University Press, 2007 , RSS also supported the formation of a trade union, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and a student's organisation Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and many other organisations like Seva Bharati, Lok Bharati and Deendayal Research Institute among others. These organisations started and supported by the RSS volunteers came to be known collectively as the Sangh Parivar.Smith, David James, Hinduism and Modernity P189, Blackwell Publishing Next few decades have seen a steady growth in the influence of the Sangh Parivar in the social and political space of India.


Ideology


Economics

While the BJP governments have been progressively seen to be industry friendly, the opinions and the views of the Sangh Parivar constituents like Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) find consonance with the known leftist stands on labour rights. The Sangh Parivar, as a whole, even the BJP in its earlier days, has advocated 'Swadeshi' (Self Reliance). Sangh Parivar leaders have been very vocal in their criticism of globalization especially its impact on the poor and native people. They have been suspicious of the role of international agencies such as the
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...
and the
International Monetary Fund The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution funded by 191 member countries, with headquarters in Washington, D.C. It is regarded as the global lender of las ...
. Sangh constituents have advocated and promoted decentralized village centric economic growth with emphasis on ecological protection.


Ecology

The constituents of the Sangh Parivar have been known for their demands for steps to "protect the environment, natural-ecology and agro-economy" and for establishment of a "self-reliant village-oriented economy". They have been vocal in their demand against the use of chemical fertilizers and have supported preservation and development of
organic farming Organic farming, also known as organic agriculture or ecological farming or biological farming,Labelling, article 30 o''Regulation (EU) 2018/848 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2024 on organic production and labelling of ...
in India. Many of these views are seen to mirror the concerns of the Green party.Hinduism and the Clash of Civilizations/David Frawley. New Delhi, Voice of India, 2001, xiv, 247 p., . The
Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...
, a constituent of Sangh Parivar included the concerns on
global warming Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes ...
in its election manifesto for the National Elections of 2009. The manifesto promised prioritising " combating climate change and global warming", "programmes to arrest the melting of Himalayan glaciers", "afforestation" and emphasis on "protecting India's biodiversity".


Reception

The Sangh Parivar has been described with monikers spanning the spectrum from "patriotic Hindus" and " Hindu nationalist". Some have also labeled them "Hindu chauvinist". While its constituent organisations present themselves as embedded in the traditional ethos of Hinduism, their ideological opponents have characterized them as the representatives of authoritarian,
xenophobic Xenophobia (from (), 'strange, foreign, or alien', and (), 'fear') is the fear or dislike of anything that is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression that is based on the perception that a conflict exists between an in-gr ...
and majoritarian religious nationalism in India, These organisations have been accused being involved with '' Saffron terror''. Flemish Indologist and Hindutva supporter Koenraad Elst has challenged the critics, in his 2001 book '' The Saffron Swastika'', he wrote "So far, the polemical arrows have all been shot from one side, replies from the other side being extremely rare or never more than piecemeal."


Social impact

The activities of the Sangh Parivar have had considerable social and religious impact. And considerable influence over country's educational, social and defense policies.


Social reform

In 1979, the religious wing of the Sangh Parivar, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad got the Hindu saints and religious leaders to reaffirm that untouchability and caste discrimination had no religious sanction in the Hindu scriptures and texts. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad is also spearheading efforts to ordain Dalits as priests in temples across India, positions that were earlier usually occupied only by people of "upper castes". In 1983, RSS founded a Dalit organisation called Samajik Samrasta Manch. The leaders of the Sangh Parivar have also been involved in the campaigns against female foeticide and movements for the education. VHP founded a number of educational institutes such as ''Bharat Sevashram'', ''Hindu Milan Mandir'', ''Ekal Vidalayas'' and schools in tribal locations.


Social and political empowerment

The service programs, over the years, have led to the empowerment of the economically and socially underprivileged sections of the society, mostly the tribal, who have long remained politically under-represented. Babulal Marandi belonging to the tribal community, who was the organizing secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, became the first Chief Minister of the state of
Jharkhand Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north ...
. Other such leaders of Sangh Parivar who belong to the tribal community include Karia Munda, Jual Oram; both ministers in the Union Government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The emergence of the Sangh Parivar in Indian politics also brought many
Dalits Dalit ( from meaning "broken/scattered") is a term used for Untouchability, untouchables and Outcast (person), outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the Caste system in India, castes in the Indian subcontinent. They are also called ...
and representatives of the backward classes, who had been victims of social neglect, to prominent positions in the Government and Administration. Suraj Bhan, a
dalit Dalit ( from meaning "broken/scattered") is a term used for untouchables and outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the castes in the Indian subcontinent. They are also called Harijans. Dalits were excluded from the fourfold var ...
, who had been a member of the RSS, became the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India, in 1998. Other leaders of the Sangh Parivar from the backward classes, who rose to prominence include Kalyan Singh, the former Chief Minister of UP, Uma Bharti, the former Chief Minister of MP,
Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician who has served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India since 2014. Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Par ...
, the incumbent Prime Minister of India, Gopinath Munde, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. In many villages across
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, ''Dharma Raksha Samitis'' (Duty/Religion Protection Committees) promote religious discourse and form an arena for bhajan performance. The Sangh sponsors calendars of Hindu deities and provides instruction on sanctioned methods of conducting Ganesh Chaturthi and Navaratri.


Politics

The Bharatiya Janata Party, which represents the Sangh Parivar in national politics, has formed three governments in India, most recently being in power from May 2014 under the leadership of
Prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician who has served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India since 2014. Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Par ...
, re-elected in May 2019 and again re-elected in 2024. Political opponents of the BJP allege that the party's moderate face merely serves to cover the Sangh Parivar's "hidden agenda" of undiluted ''Hindutva'', detectable by the BJP's efforts to change the content of history textbooks and syllabi as well as other aspects of the education system. Such criticism of the BJP arises from the fact that BJP had only 2 seats in the parliament in 1984 and after the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992 the party gained national recognition, and rose to power in 1998.


Babri Mosque demolition

According to the report of the UPA instituted Liberhan Commission the Sangh Parivar organised the destruction of the Babri Masjid. The Commission said— "The blame or the credit for the entire temple construction movement at Ayodhya must necessarily be attributed to the Sangh Parivar". It also noted that the Sangh Parivar is an "extensive and widespread organic body", which encompasses organisations, which address and bring together just about every type of social, professional and other demographic grouping of individuals.


List of Sangh Parivar organisations

The Sangh Parivar includes the following organisations (with membership figures in brackets). They are also categorized. ;Political * All Jammu and Kashmir Praja Parishad, literally, "Subject's Council", a political party active in Jammu from 1947 to 1963. * Bharatiya Jana Sangh, literally, "Indian People's Association" a political party that existed from 1951 to 1977. *
Bharatiya Janata Party The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP; , ) is a political party in India and one of the two major List of political parties in India, Indian political parties alongside the Indian National Congress. BJP emerged out from Syama Prasad Mukherjee's ...
(BJP), ''Indian People's Party'' (180 million, April 2022) ;Occupational and Professional * Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), literally, ''Indian People's Youth Front, BJP's Youth Wing * Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, literally, ''Indian Farmers' Association'' (8 million as of 2002) * Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, ''Indian Labourers' Association'' (10 million as of 2009) * Bharatiya Railway Mazdoor Sangh, ''Indian Railways Workers' Association'' * Fishermen's Co-operative Societies (2.2 million as of 2002) * Sanskar Bharati, ''Organisation of Indian Artists'' * Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad, ''All India Lawyers' Council'' * Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, ''All India Students' Council'' (2.8 million as of 2011) * Akhil Bharatiya Shaikshik Mahasangh, ''All India Teachers' Federation'' (1.8 million as of 2002) * National Medicos Organisation, ''Organisation of Medical Practitioners'' * Akhil Bharatiya Poorva Sainik Seva Parishad, (ABPSSP) ''All India Ex-Military Servicemen Council.'' ;Economic * Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, ''Nativist Awakening Front'' * Vitta Salahkar Parishad, ''Financial consultants' association'' * Laghu Udyog Bharati, ''an extensive network of small industries.'' * Sahkar Bharati, ''Organisation of co-operatives'' ;Social Services * Deen Dayal Shodh Sansthan, ''for the development of rural areas on the basis of Integral Humanism'' (1.7m) * My Home India, ''Organisation to promote nationalism and cultural assimilation between
Northeast India Northeast India, officially the North Eastern Region (NER), is the easternmost region of India representing both a geographic and political Administrative divisions of India, administrative division of the country. It comprises eight States and ...
and rest of India. Provide helpline to Northeast India people across the country''. * Bharat Vikas Parishad – ''Organisation for the development and growth of India in all fields of human endeavour'' (1.8 million as of 2002) * Vivekananda Medical Mission, ''Sociomedical Services'' (1.7 million as of 2002) * Seva Bharati, ''Organisation for service of the needy'' (founded in 1984) * Sabarimala Ayyappa Seva Samajam * Sakshama, ''an organisation working among the blind'' * Nele (a part of " Hindu Seva Pratishthana"), ''Home for destitute Children'' * Lok Bharati, ''National NGO's Front'' * Seema Suraksha Parishad, Seemanta Chetana Mancha ''an organisation working among the people of border districts'' ;Exclusively Women * Rashtra Sevika Samiti, literally, ''National Volunteer Association for Women'' (1.8 million as of 2002) * Shiksha Bharati, ''to provide education and training for skill up gradation to underprivileged girls and women'' (2.1 million as of 2002) * Durga Vahini, ''Women's wing of Vishwa Hindu Parishad.'' ;Religious * Vishwa Hindu Parishad, ''World Hindu Council'' (6.8m) * Bajrang Dal, ''Literally, Brigade of
Hanuman Hanuman (; , ), also known as Maruti, Bajrangabali, and Anjaneya, is a deity in Hinduism, revered as a divine ''vanara'', and a devoted companion of the deity Rama. Central to the ''Ramayana'', Hanuman is celebrated for his unwavering devotio ...
'' (3.8 million as of 2002) * Hindu Jagarana Vedike, literally, ''National Volunteer Association for men to protect the Hindus'' * Dharm Jagaran Samiti ''Organisation for conversion of non-Hindus to Hinduism'' and their coordinating committee "Dharam Jagaran Samanvay Samiti" * Rashtriya Hindu Andolan, ''based in
Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...
calls for the deletion of "
secular Secularity, also the secular or secularness (from Latin , or or ), is the state of being unrelated or neutral in regards to religion. The origins of secularity can be traced to the Bible itself. The concept was fleshed out through Christian hi ...
" from the
Indian Constitution The Constitution of India is the supreme legal document of India, and the longest written national constitution in the world. The document lays down the framework that demarcates fundamental political code, structure, procedures, powers, and ...
'' * Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, ''a sociocultural organisation with the aim to spread the knowledge of Gurbani to the Indian society'' * Bhartiya Baudh Sangh, ''Indian Buddhist Association'' * Muslim Rashtriya Manch, '' National Front of
Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
'' * Hindu Rashtra Sena, ''propagating for the establishment of Hindu Rashtra'' ;Regional based * Hindu Munnani, ''a religio-cultural organisation based in
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
'' * Hindu Makkal Katchi, ''a religio-cultural organisation based in Tamil Nadu and it works along with Hindu Munnani'' * Hindu Aikya Vedi, ''Hindu United Front'' based in
Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
* Janajati Dharma Sanskriti Suraksha Manch, ''Tribal Organisation based in
Assam Assam (, , ) is a state in Northeast India, northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra Valley, Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . It is the second largest state in Northeast India, nor ...
'' ;Educational organisations * Ekal Vidyalaya, ''Involved in free education and village development in rural areas and tribal villages of India.'' * Saraswati Shishu Mandir, ''School'' * Vidya Bharati Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Sansthan, ''Educational Institutes'' * Vijnana Bharati, ''Science Forum'' ;Socio-Ethnic * Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram, ''Organisation for the improvement of tribals'' * Friends of Tribals Society * Anusuchit Jati-Jamati Arakshan Bachao Parishad, ''Organisation for the improvement of
Dalits Dalit ( from meaning "broken/scattered") is a term used for Untouchability, untouchables and Outcast (person), outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the Caste system in India, castes in the Indian subcontinent. They are also called ...
'' * Bharat-Tibet Maitri Sangh, ''India-Tibet Friendship Association'' ;News & Communication * Organiser, ''Magazine'' * Panchjanya, ''Magazine'' * Vishwa Samvad Kendra ''communication Wing, spread all over India for media related work, having a team of IT professionals'' * Hindustan Samachar ''a multi-lingual news agency.'' * Suruchi Prakashan ''A publishing house publishing RSS literature'' ;Think Tanks * Bharatiya Vichara Kendra, ''General Think Tank.'' * Hindu Vivek Kendra, ''a resource center for the promotion of the ideology of Hindutva''. * Vivekananda Kendra, promotion of
Swami Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda () (12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta, was an Indian Hindus, Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. Vivekananda was a major figu ...
's ideas with Vivekananda International Foundation in
New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
as a "Public Policy Think Tank" with 6 Centres of study. * India Policy Foundation, ''a not-for-profit Think Tank'' * Bharatiya Shikshan Mandal, ''a Think Tank on educational reforms.'' * India Foundation, ''a Think Tank'' * Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Yojana (ABISY), ''All-India History Reform Project'' * Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation (SPMRF) ;Overseas * Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, literally, ''Hindu Volunteer Association'' overseas wing of RSS * Hindu Students Council, ''Overseas Hindu Students' Wing'' * National Hindu Students' Forum, Hindu student group in UK * Sewa International, UK based Charity * India Development and Relief Fund, USA based charity * Rashtriya Bajrang Dal ;Children ;Others * Samskrita Bharati, promotion of the
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
language * Central Hindu Military Education Society, ''to encourage more Hindus to join the Defence Services'' * Kreeda Bharati, ''Sports organisation.'' * Bharat Tibbat Sahyog Manch and Bharat Tibbat Samanvay Sangh,Bharat Tibet Samanvay Sangh Celebrates Its Second Anniversary With Tibetan Shopkeepers
, Tibet Rights Collective, 16 Januaryr 2023.
organisations working with Tibetan expatriates in India.


See also

* Bibliography of the Sangh Parivar


References


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{Bharatiya Janata Party , state=collapsed Bharatiya Jana Sangh Bharatiya Janata Party Hindutva Hindu nationalism Hindu organisations based in India Political organisations based in India Hindu terrorism Persecution of Muslims Militant Hindu groups Right-wing populism in India Far-right politics in India Fascism in India