Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS): History, Ideology and Its Influences on Indian Policy Towards Pakistan

Abstract : This monograph focuses on an Indian nationalist Hindu organization: The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS). The research explores RSS's history, highlights its embrace with Hindutva ideology, determines the nature of this organization, and discovers RSS's linkages with mainstream political party of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The monograph illuminates the implications of recent election of Narinder Modi, a long associate of the RSS and a hardcore Hindu nationalist, as the Prime Minister of India from the BJP platform. Narinder Modi as the chief executive of the India has fueled uncertainties and apprehensions about the future behavior of the Indian politico-military elite towards Pakistan. In this context, it became paramount to establish the underlying linkages of the RSS to India's politico-military hierarchy in order to draw inferences for domestic, regional and global stakeholders with a focus towards Pakistan. Using the framework of the strategy while relying on the case study method, the analysis of history of the RSS revealed the linkages between the RSS, Indian politics and the Indian military and provided greater insight into the RSS thinking and behaviors and its ability to shape multiple security threats for Pakistan. The analysis highlighted the major security implications of RSS-BJP-Modi nexus for Pakistan.