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Babasaheb Ambedkar and RSS
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To: SCI <soc-culture-indian@cs.utexas.edu>
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Subject: Babasaheb Ambedkar and RSS
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From: Rajiv Varma <rvarma@ccaix.jsums.edu>
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Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 01:34:36 -0600 (CST)
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From ajay@mercury.aichem.arizona.edu Wed Mar 29 22: 03:17 1995
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Resent-Date: Wed, 29 Mar 1995 20:10:36 -0700 (MST)
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Resent-From: Ajay Shah <ajay@mercury.aichem.arizona.edu>
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Resent-Message-Id: <Pine.ULT.3.90.950329201036.12804H@mercury.aichem.arizona.edu>
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Resent-To: editor <editor@rbhatnagar.ececs.uc.edu>
BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR presided over the Makar Sankranti utsav of Pune Shakha
in 1936. Here he asked Dr. Hedgewar who was present at the ceremony, if
all RSS members were Brahmins. The Doctor's answer was that when
Swayamsevaks were spreading their ideals and recruiting new members -- i.e.
using their mind -- they were Brahmins; when they were performing their daily
exercises they were Kshatriyas (warriors); whenever they handled money and
other business matters for Sangha, they were Vaishyas; and when they did
the sanitation work in the various camps and branches, they were Shudras.
In other word by naming the four main traditional castes into which Hindu
society is divided, Dr. Hedgewar made the point that the RSS was attempting
to demonstrate that caste meant nothing.
Dr. Ambedkar was very much impressed with RSS castelessness in the centre
of orthodoxy in Maharashtra.
--DURI Archives, New Delhi
