RSS Dream and the Shrinking Space for Minorities

RSS Dream and the Shrinking Space for Minorities

RSS chief Mr. Manmohan Bhagwat stood up at the organization’s hundred-year celebration and declared that “India is a nation of Hindu religion”. It was not just a ceremonial line but was a clear message that the RSS was not hiding its vision anymore.

The idea of India as a Hindu Rashtra has always been part of its core philosophy, but this time it was stated loud and proud, as if the debate over India’s secular identity is already over.

Moreover, for anyone who still believes in the plural and secular spirit of India that is deeply unsettling. The Constitution was built around the idea that every person, no matter what their faith, stands equal before the law. Thus, what Bhagwat said directly clashes with that idea. So, it was not just about religion but was about the kind of country India is becoming.

When the State and the RSS Think Alike

The relationship between the RSS and the Modi government is not exactly a secret. Mr. Modi himself came up from the ranks of the RSS. He often praises the organization as the soul of India’s national identity. In practice, that connection means the RSS worldview seeps into the state’s policies, symbols, and even in its silences.

In the latest decade, minorities including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and even Dalits at times have seen their freedoms shrink. Besides, hate crimes rise, police bias goes unchecked, and those in power often look away. Thus, the system no longer protects equally, rather it chooses who deserves protection.

The lines between citizenship and religious identity have started to blur.

Laws That Divide

Moreover, one of the most powerful tools of this new India has been the law itself. Anti-conversion laws sound neutral, but they are mostly used against Muslims and Christians. They criminalize what should be private choices like who one loves, what one believes, and how one chooses to express that faith.

Also, there is the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). It leaves out Muslim refugees from its protections, which feels less like a clerical oversight, and more like a deliberate signal about who belongs and who does not belong. When the NRC process is added to the mix, millions of people mostly poor and Muslims are forced to prove that they have the right to remain in the only home they have ever known.

Rewriting Culture and History

Moving forward, the RSS vision goes deeper than just politics. It is about reshaping how people see India themselves. School textbooks are being quietly rewritten, glorifying Hindu rulers, erasing Mughal contributions, and toning down anything that does not fit the Hindutva narrative. When kids grow up learning a version of history that excludes entire communities, it changes how a country thinks.

Same is the case with media. Thus, TV debates, movies, and social media often push a story of “Hindu civilization under threat”. Minorities are painted as outsiders, and sometimes even enemies. It is exhausting and dangerous, because it normalizes suspicion and hate.

What Happens to the Constitution?

Furthermore, India’s Constitution is supposed to act like a safety net protecting everyone equally. But that net is fraying. The courts, which used to be the last line of defense, seem hesitant to challenge the majority power. Besides, cases about hate speech or mob violence drag on, and the accused often walk free. Thus, over time, that kind of silence sends a message that this is the new normal of India.

The Real World Consequences.

Additionally, all this ideology has a human cost. Muslims have been lynched on suspicion of eating beef or falling in love with Hindu women. Churches have been attacked, pastors arrested, and mosques bulldozed. These are not just incidents, rather they are part of a pattern which slowly tells minorities that their safety and dignity depend on staying quiet.

Meanwhile, journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens still speak up, though often at great risk. Hence, India that believes in equality and freedom is not dead, but it is under pressure like never before.

What the World Sees and Does not Say?

Further, outside India, there are growing concerns about human rights. Human rights groups regularly call out the discrimination and violence, but global governments mostly stay quiet. India is too big an economic partner to upset. So, this international silence only strengthens the RSS’s hand. It portrays a picture of religious nationalism which is immune from consequences.

Shortly, the RSS dream of a Hindu Rashtra is not just about religion but is about control. It seeks to define who can call themselves as “truly Indian”. If that dream comes true, secularism will not just fade away, it will be replaced by a system where minorities live on the margins and tolerated but never truly accepted.

The tragedy is that India does not need to be this way.

Its diversity has always been its strength that is messy, loud, and beautiful. Thus, reducing it to a single identity weakens the whole idea of India. At this point, the real question is not that if India will remain a democracy or not, but what kind of democracy it would be. Hence, time will tell whether it would protect the difference or would be the one that punishes it.