Over 20 groups call for sanctions against RSS As Bhagwat set for UK tour
Threats posed by RSS are real, active and ongoing: Indian diaspora
London: Over 20 Indian diaspora organisations have called for sanctions against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) members, a boycott of Mohan Bhagwat’s events in Britain, and safeguards for vulnerable communities, warning that the RSS chief’s UK visit could embolden Hindu supremacist groups and deepen fear and polarisation.
According to Kashmir Media Service, as RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat prepares to tour the United Kingdom from Wednesday to September 7, the diaspora groups have urged the UK Foreign Office’s Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) Special Envoy David Smith MP, and the Chair of the FoRB All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Jim Shannon MP, to boycott his functions.
In a letter sent to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the organisations demanded that Britain’s multicultural fabric be protected and that the government issue a public condemnation of the RSS for its role in religious persecution. They also called for sanctions to be imposed on RSS members and affiliates. The letter said that “Bhagwat’s planned visit to Britain… is part of a charm offensive of public outreach, supported by his allies in the UK.”It cited the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which in its annual reports for the last seven consecutive years has demanded targeted sanctions against the RSS. The US panel has also designated India as a “Country of Particular Concern (CPC)” for “engaging in and tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations.” Ahead of Bhagwat’s US visit last week, USCIRF also called on the US government to revoke his visa and ban him from future entry.“The threats posed in Britain by the RSS are real, active and ongoing. Bhagwat’s visit will embolden RSS affiliates in the UK to promulgate hate speech, further polarise the Indian diaspora, and create an environment of fear and intimidation for vulnerable communities across the country,” the letter stated.
Bhagwat’s UK itinerary has been kept confidential. He earlier addressed an event at Madison Square Garden in New York and later visited Canada amid strong backlash from diverse Indian diaspora communities. The letter also scrutinised the legacy of RSS ideologue M.S. Golwalkar for “notoriously gaining inspiration from Hitler’s treatment of the Jews as a model of ‘race pride’ which India should emulate in its treatment of minorities.”It further accused the RSS of inspiring violence worldwide, including citing Norwegian neo-Nazi Anders Breivik, who carried out the 2011 mass shooting at a summer camp, killing 77 people and injuring over 323.The letter said academic research has widely blamed the RSS for operating a transnational network of organisations that harvest funds and channel them into violence against religious minorities in India. The signatories include South Asia Solidarity Group, UK Indian Muslim Council, South Asia Justice Campaign, Hindus for Human Rights UK, Periyar Ambedkar Study Circle, India Labour Solidarity (UK), Dalit Solidarity Network (DSN-UK), Muslim Engagement and Development (MEND), Birmingham Black Sisters, International Solidarity for Academic Freedom in India (InSAF India), Joint Committee to Stop Repression in India (JCSRI), Minority Rights Group, Black and Brown Rainbow, Million Women Rise, Strive UK, Indian Workers Association (GB), Nijjor Manush, South Asian Liberation Movement, Doikayt Collective, Tamil Women’s Organisation, and Indus Legacy.
The organisations also wrote to London Mayor Sadiq Khan demanding a complete boycott of Bhagwat’s functions. They urged that no venues controlled or owned by the Greater London Authority (GLA) be provided, and that neither the Mayor nor any GLA representative should speak at or send support messages to the events. They also sought clarification on measures being put in place by the Metropolitan Police to ensure security for communities in London who are usually targeted by Hindu supremacist organisations affiliated with the RSS.
MP Nadia Whittome Questions Government’s Risk Assessment Labour MP Nadia Whittome has tabled a written question in Parliament regarding the government’s risk assessment on Bhagwat’s visit under the “unacceptable behaviours criteria.”Under the policy, the UK Home Office assesses entry for non-UK nationals whose presence is deemed not conducive to the “public good.” The policy reflects the government’s commitment to block hate preachers and extremists who seek to undermine British values or social cohesion.
MP Whittome asked whether such an assessment had been carried out. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to reply in Parliament on September 03, when the House convenes for the day during the ongoing session.
