Not spiritual enough to create Hindu Rashtra: Sanatan Sanstha on RSS

Sanatan Sanstha, the right wing Hindutva organisation which is allegedly linked to the murder of rationalist CPI leader Govind Pansare, called Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) 'not spiritual enough' and blamed it for 'taking India to a new low'.

The allegations were made in a report titled 'Main differences between RSS and HJS, a wing of the Sanstha' in the June 2015 issue of Sanstha's mouthpiece, Sanatan Prabhat. It claims that because RSS volunteers do not perform sadhana (spiritual exercises), they have taken the nation to a new low over the last 68 years.

The report quotes Jayant Athavle, founder of Sanatan Sanstha as saying, "RSS has 40 lakh volunteers but because they do not perform sadhana (spiritual exercise), over the last 68 years, they have taken the nation to a new low, step by step, across all spheres. On the contrary, over the next five years, Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS) will get 4 lakh sadhak-karyakarte (spiritual activists). These activists will perform sadhana and start a religious revolution to establish a Hindu Rashtra. in the next three years. Which means, eight years from now, in 2023, we will establish a Hindu nation."

A senior RSS member's reaction was published in a national daily saying, "This article is nonsense. The Sangh Parivar is playing its role in nation building by running about 1.5 lakh social service projects across the country. That's real sadhana. Anyway, this is not the first time (the Sanstha) has written against us."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the Sanatan Sanstha, Sandeep Shinde, made the organisation's intentions clear.

"The report does not aim to insult RSS. We respect RSS and write good things about it. But RSS certainly needs to improve," he said.