Date:2009 April 3, 13:31 (Friday) Canonical ID:09NEWDELHI665_a
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1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
selected 59-year old Mohan Bhagwat as its new leader,
replacing the 78-year old K.S. Sudarshan who stepped down
citing health problems. Bhagwat is the youngest chief in RSS
history and represents a "generational change" in the
organization. He is viewed as a Hinduva ideologue who, at
the same time, welcomes change as the RSS seeks to broaden
its membership. Many expect Bhagwat to redefine the RSS
relationship with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by putting
added pressure on political leaders to advance a Hindutva
agenda. Bhagwat is a supporter of the BJP prime ministerial
candidate L.K. Advani and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra
Modi. End Summary.
RSS gets its youngest chief
---
2. (SBU) The RSS -- the ideological core of Hindutva
organizations including the BJP -- went through a
generational change on March 21 with the appointment of Mohan
Rao Bhagwat, 59, as the youngest leader in the 84-year
history of the organization. Bhagwat replaced 78-year old
K.S. Sudarshan, who retired from the post amid health
concerns. Bhagwat joined the RSS as a volunteer in Akola,
Maharashtra, during Indira Gandhi's emergency rule in the
mid-1970s. He quickly rose through the ranks as the district
and regional head of several RSS branches. In 2000, Bhagwat
was elected the RSS General Secretary, the second highest
office in the organization. He is highly regarded by the RSS
rank and file as an "energetic" leader, who will strengthen
the recruitment of young people into the organization. His
appointment also comes as the BJP is trying to woo the
youthful Indian electorate -- people under the age of 35
account for 70 percent of India's population -- but has an
aging prime ministerial candidate in 81-year old L.K. Advani.
Bhagwat's good rapport with BJP leaders is expected to help
in "bridging the gap" that had existed between the Sangh and
the BJP under his predecessor's watch.
"A stickler for ideology," yet willing to change with the
times
---
3. (SBU) The new chief will likely enforce discipline
within the RSS ranks. He is seen as a committed ideologue on
the basic tenets of Hindutva. Addressing a group of young
RSS volunteers the day of his selection, Bhagwat sent a clear
message to cadres that the Sangh should change with the times
while staying committed to core ideological principles. "It
(Hindutva) is a formula that has kept our country and society
together...We are like a tree that bends in the storm but
doesn't leave its roots," he declared.
4. (SBU) Many believe that his appointment represents a
change in organizational focus as the RSS seeks to broaden
its youth base, particularly within cities where recruitment
of youth in the 18-35 age group has lagged. RSS insiders
have told us that it has been difficult to convince the
younger generation to subscribe to the austere RSS volunteer
lifestyle. (Note: RSS volunteers are expected to dedicate
their lives to the Sangh Parivar and are discouraged from
other full-time employment or marriage. End Note.) Bhagwat
is seen as the "great hope" for recruiting and retaining the
future generation of RSS members. Contacts noted that under
his watch as RSS General Secretary, enrollments increased
significantly.
Putting the house back in order...
---
5. (SBU) With Bhagwat's appointment, the RSS is also
expected to regain clout among its affiliates, particularly
the BJP. The RSS had lost its organizational supremacy with
the rise of Atal Bihari Vajpayee as Prime Minister. Some
NEW DELHI 00000665 002 OF 003
analysts pointed out that the 1999-2004 Vajpayee government
did little to advance a Hindutva agenda so as not to
antagonize its not-so-Hindutva-minded allies. (Note:
Current Hindutva political demands include: the construction
of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh; the repeal of
Article 370 of the Indian Constitution granting spcial
status to Jammu and Kashmir; and the implementation of a
uniform civil code for all Indians instead of separate family
laws for Muslims. End Note.) But, now there are signs of
factionalism and petty infighting within the BJP (Ref. A),
which has left an opening for the Bhagwat-led RSS to
reinstate its authority. For all his cross RSS-BJP appeal
and years of political service, many expect Bhagwat to
energize the RSS base and to inject more Hindutva ideology
into BJP political campaigns and governing policies.
6. (SBU) Bhagwat is often compared to M.S. Golwalkar, the
second RSS chief, who believed that Hindutva ideological
principles trump electoral politics. Like Golwalkar, Bhagwat
has focused on strengthening the RSS organizational structure
by increasing the recruitment and retention rate of members.
Sudarshan and past RSS leaders, in contrast, have focused
less on achieving a Hindutva agenda and more emphasis on
winning elections.
7. (SBU) There have been some signs of change in the BJP
campaign message since Bhagwat's selection two weeks ago. In
his first broadcast TV interview since elections campaigning
commenced, L.K. Advani pledged to concentrate more on the
development of "Bharat" rather than "India." Advani for the
first time admitted that the Vajpayee-led government was
overly concerned about its secular allies rather than
advancing a Hindutva agenda.
Friend of Advani and Modi
---
8. (SBU) On the eve of parliamentary elections, Bhagwat's
appointment is seen as a boost for the BJP's prime
ministerial candidate L.K. Advani. Bhagwat helped Advani
secure the prime ministerial candidacy last year when some
Sangh members raised concerns about Advani's ability to mount
sustained, ideologically-driven attacks against the United
Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. It was at Bhagwat's
insistence, observers noted, that a three-member RSS
delegation visited L.K. Advani's residence in early January
to resolve internal RSS-BJP disputes ahead of April-May polls.
9. (U) Bhagwat is also closely associated with Gujarat
Chief Minister Narendra Modi. He stood solidly behind Modi
when many RSS leaders had shunned him for his perceived
"arrogance" during the 2007 state assembly elections.
Bhagwat was one of the few RSS members present at the April
2008 launch for Modi's book profiling the sixteen "most
influential" RSS leaders. Bhagwat also attended Advani's
book release in March 2008.
Comment: Striking a balance
---
10. (SBU) Besides representing a generational change, the
Bhagwat appointment is significant in that it may represent
an opportunity for this increasing anachronistic organization
to reshape itself into a viable 21st century institution.
Although his appointment was not unexpected, it sent a ripple
through the right-of-center political establishment. Bhagwat
will be watched closely to see if he can strike the optimum
balance between advancing Hindutva ideology and adjusting to
modern political realities. Ahead of April-May parliamentary
elections, the BJP needs the RSS -- it provides the most
dedicated cadre for the campaign -- but does not need a RSS
overload. Beyond a certain point, heated RSS Hindutva
rhetoric can have an electoral backlash. End Comment.
Biographical Notes
---
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11. (SBU) Mohan Bhagwat was born in Maharashtra in 1950.
He joined the RSS as a volunteer in Akola, Maharashtra, in
the mid-1970s. Bhagwat rose through the ranks as the
district and regional head of several RSS branches,
including: the district leader of Akola, provincial leader of
Nagpur and the state leader of Bihar. In 2000, Bhagwat was
elected the RSS General Secretary. His father, Madhukarrao
Bhagwat, was a RSS leader in Gujarat and is known to have
initiated L.K. Advani into the organization. Like many RSS
activists, he is unmarried.
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