LAKSHMI (name changed), 54, a mother of two and a wife to an ailing husband, lives in a compact one-bedroom house in Karimnagar in Telangana. Until a few years ago, the couple worked at a construction site, but after her husband took ill, she now works as a domestic help. She takes care of the household, her husband and her two children—one is five, the other a toddler—with the little income she gets. The lanes and by-lanes surrounding her house are inhabited by families that work very hard to arrange two square meals a day.
Over the past few years, these families have been getting visitors—guests who are uninvited but not unwelcome. These are Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) volunteers, men and sometimes women, who have been visiting these families from time to time to inquire about their health and well-being. They carry with them plates containing vermillion, a blouse piece and some saffron threads—all neatly arranged.
“They touch our feet as a mark of respect. They assure us that we will be okay. They are strangers when they enter our house, but by the time they leave, they become a part of our family,” says Lakshmi. “If we are lucky, we also get silver,” she says. “Is it wrong?” she asks, perplexed.
The RSS volunteers seem to quietly go across the town, into the deserted lanes jam-packed with houses, inside people’s homes, as if they knew them all along. Touching women’s feet almost becomes a show of ‘total loyalty’—a pledge of undying, unquestioning servility, flattery and sycophancy. “We feel obligated to vote for them because they made the effort to come to our house, bow down and touch our feet. We only do that with our elders, my husband and God around here,” says Lakshmi.
This story is from the 21 July 2023 edition of Outlook.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the 21 July 2023 edition of Outlook.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
The Muslim Question
In the time of polarisation politics and othering, how to respond to the banality of hate?
Voters' Cold Wave
Heat wave, voter apathy and cyclic migration are blamed for the poor voter turnout in Bihar. Political parties are clueless about what impact will it have on election results
Occupy Ivy League
Students protesting in American universities are asking the US government to rethink its policy towards Israel
Left Side Story
Personal attacks, lower voter turnout and the BJP’s determined campaigning: how has Kerala voted this time?
Across the Pir Panjals
The newly carved-out constituency of Anantnag-Rajouri is set to witness a very close contest
Gashes in the Red Sand
Residents of the tribal district of Gadchiroli resist development models that destroy the environment
When Taps and Hope Run Dry
Peaking water scarcity and pervasive groundwater contamination have increased migration from many districts of Rajasthan.
Pilgrim's Politics
Two-time MP from Varanasi, Narendra Modi, is sculpting the eternal city in his image
Under The Model Town
Muslim ghettos in Ahmedabad are dilapidated and neglected
The Master Strategist
The Assam chief minister enjoys popularity both as an administrator and a politician despite his relentless anti-Muslim rhetoric