Over 100 ex-Indian civil servants demand reversal of RSS affiliation directive for govt officials
New Delhi: Over one hundred former Indian civil servants and members of the Constitutional Conduct Group have voiced strong objections to the BJP-led Indian government’s recent decision to lift the ban on civil servants becoming members of or participating in activities of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological fountainhead of Hindutva organizations in the country.
According to Kashmir Media Service, in a formal statement, the group has demanded an immediate reversal of the directive, asserting that it jeopardizes the constitutional framework, undermines the impartiality required of public officials, endangers minority rights, and threatens the integrity of the civil services.
The signatories emphasized the crucial role of civil administrators and police officers in upholding the Constitution and safeguarding the rights of all citizens, especially those from religious and caste minorities. They argue that maintaining impartiality in these roles requires a steadfast commitment to the principles of humanism, fairness, and the core values enshrined in the Indian Constitution.
The group’s concerns are particularly focused on the implications of allowing government officials, including district magistrates, police officers, and other public servants, to affiliate with an organization that they believe undermines India’s secular and pluralistic foundations.
The statement criticized the government’s characterization of the RSS as a cultural rather than a political organization, contending that the RSS’s core ideology — aimed at establishing a Hindu Rashtra — contradicts the principles of equal citizenship guaranteed by the Constitution.
Furthermore, the group expressed unease about the potential impact on the electoral process, given the RSS’s close ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the active role of RSS members in BJP campaigns. The possibility of public officials aligning with the RSS raises concerns about the integrity of free and fair elections.
The statement also underscored the troubling history of RSS-affiliated organizations in communal violence. Citing reports from judicial commissions that have implicated such organizations in major incidents of communal strife, the group warns that permitting RSS affiliation among civil servants could exacerbate communal and caste biases, potentially leading to significant harm during periods of violence.
