India has lifted a decades-old ban on civil servants being members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a far-right Hindu nationalist group that serves as the ideological parent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This significant policy change was disclosed in a government memo made public on Monday.
Several prominent BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Modi himself, have strong ties to the RSS, an organization with millions of members who participate in paramilitary drills and prayer meetings. The RSS advocates for India to be recognized as a Hindu nation, opposing the secular framework outlined in the Indian constitution. Critics accuse the organization of exacerbating sectarian tensions within the country.
Since 1966, Indian civil service regulations have prohibited government employees from being members of or participating in the activities of both the RSS and the Islamist organization Jamaat-e-Islami. However, a recent official memorandum, publicized by BJP publicity chief Amit Malviya, announced the removal of the RSS from these rules. “It has been decided to remove the mention” of the RSS from the regulation, the memorandum stated.
Malviya took to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, to label the rule as an “unconstitutional order issued 58 years ago.” Notably, the new memorandum did not address the status of Jamaat-e-Islami, which remains banned.
The amendment has triggered a backlash from opposition leaders. Jairam Ramesh of the Congress party sarcastically commented that “the bureaucracy can now come in knickers,” referring to the khaki shorts that RSS members traditionally wore as part of their uniform.
The RSS has been declared illegal on three separate occasions, including following the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by a former member. The lifting of the ban marks a controversial turn in India’s political landscape, raising concerns about the implications for the country’s secular principles and the potential for increased sectarian division.
