Dr Mohan David

Tell us about the genesis of the two ideologies.
It all started sometime around 1893. While the moderates, including Gopal Krishna Gokhale and MG Ranade, were working towards securing self-governance in institutions through constitutional means, their movement represented the intellectuals and the middle class. This created a lacuna in the nationalist movement, and Bal Gangadhar Tilak stepped in with his revolutionary call for Swaraj or full freedom. He started the Shivaji festival and Ganeshotsav — which was also in response to the Muslim religious processions of the time — to translate the freedom struggle to the masses.

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Mahatma Gandhi came to represent the liberal ideology with his Civil Disobedience and Non-Cooperation movements

In 1920, Gandhi adopted Tilak's idea of bringing the masses together through his non-cooperation, and later, civil disobedience movements, but rejected Tilak's revolutionary ideas. Perhaps, India needed Gandhi's multi-religious framework, as the British were striving to keep the country divided between the Hindus and Muslims. That's why when BK Hedgewar [who had participated in Tilak's Home Rule campaign in 1918] founded the RSS in 1925, it remained a weak organisation.

What led to its re-emergence?
While the Congress still represents the liberal ideology, it is the leadership of the BJP [the RSS being its parent organisation] which is deeply convinced of its ideology. That's why you see Congress MPs defecting to the BJP, but not the other way round. The mass-based reach of the RSS has contributed greatly, too.

Are we taking liberties with representing history today?
This is an ongoing struggle. When the British ruled India, they looked at Indian history from the imperialist point of view. The ideology of those in power rules the roost. The facts remain the same, the interpretation changes.

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