Government of India Lifts 58-Year Ban on Civil Servants Associating with RSS
The Indian government has lifted a 58-year ban, through a fresh office memorandum, that prevented civil servants and bureaucrats from joining or associating with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its activities alleged senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.
Jairam Ramesh, a Member of Parliament (MP), affiliated with the opposition Indian National Congress posted a picture on his X (formerly Twitter) of the memorandum removing the ban passed by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
The 1966 document stated, “As certain doubts have been raised about the government’s policy with respect to the membership of and participation in the activities of the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh and the Jamaat-e-Islami by government servants, it is clarified that government have always held the activities of these two organisations to be of such a nature that participation in them by government servants would attract the Central Civil Services Conduct Rules”.
“Any government servant, who is a member of or is otherwise associated with the aforesaid organisations or with their activities is liable to disciplinary action,” it had said.
In a speech, Sardar Patel said, “We in the government have been dealing with the RSS movement. They want Hindu Rajya or Hindu culture should be imposed by force. No government can tolerate this. There are almost as many Muslims in this country as in the part that has been partitioned away. We are not going to drive them away. It would be an evil day if we started that game, despite partition and whatever happens. We must understand that they are going to stay here and it is our obligation and our responsibility to make them feel that this is their country. It is, of course, their responsibility, on the other hand, to discharge their duties as citizens of this country.”
The initial order was issued by the Congress government in 1966, grouped RSS with Jamaat-e-Islami, stating that their activities were deemed incompatible with the Central Civil Services Conduct Rules, 1964, which prohibit government servants from being members of or associating with any political party or organization involved in politics. Following the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi’s government in 1975, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) issued another order on November 25, banning RSS, Jamaat-e-Islami, Anand Marg, and CPI(ML). This ban meant that association with these organizations could result in up to seven years in jail and a fine.
Relief came in 1977 after the Indira government was ousted by the Janata alliance, with a DoPT clarification on April 23, 1977, stating that the bans on RSS, Jamaat-e-Islami, Anand Marg, and CPI(ML) were lifted, rendering the 1975 order null. However, when Indira Gandhi returned to power in 1980, the restrictions on government employees participating in RSS and Jamaat-e-Islami activities were reinstated.
In his post, Mr. Ramesh said: “Sardar Patel had banned the RSS in February 1948 following Gandhiji’s assassination. Subsequently, the ban was withdrawn on assurances of good behaviour. Even after this the RSS never flew the Tiranga in Nagpur.”
“In 1966, a ban was imposed and rightly so on government employees taking part in RSS activities. After June 4th 2024, relations between the self-anointed non-biological PM and the RSS have nosedived. On July 9, 2024, the 58-year ban that was in force even during Mr. Vajpayee’s tenure as PM was removed. The bureaucracy can now come in knickers too I suppose,” he added.