One Hundred Years Of...Prachar

In Chennai, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) made a start in 1939. The organisation has continued to grow in Tamil Nadu, with its share of ups and downs over the last eight decades. North Tamil Nadu Joint Prachar Pramukh Dr K. Gopalakrishnan and RSS Media Co-ordinator Chandrasekaran spoke to Lalita Iyer about the organisation's trajectory in the state. Excerpts:

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What has changed in the ground situation in Tamil Nadu for the RSS with regard to the Dravidian movement?

We want to borrow from Swami Vivekananda's quote here: "Each work has to pass through these stages-ridicule, opposition, and then acceptance." This has been true for the RSS: not just in Tamil Nadu, but across India. Around 50 years ago, Hindu ideals were subject to politicised mocking, and the idea of Tamil nationalism was spreading its roots. There are still people who slight Hindu culture. As the decades have passed, Hindu society has awakened. Silent toleration has turned into displeasure being voiced.

In 1971, naked portraits of Shri Rama and Sita were paraded in Tamil Nadu with 'slipper garlands'. Today, this cannot happen anymore. Collective work by the RSS, many spiritual leaders, Hindu organisations, intellectuals and social workers, the ground reality has shifted.

The RSS, which was ridiculed earlier, has also started gaining acceptance from society. We have shakhas (daily gatherings) in almost all localities at the Panchayat Union level. Every year, we receive thousands of 'Join RSS' requests in Tamil Nadu through our website.

Some analysts suggest that Tamil nationalism is a right-wing ideology, while Dravidianism is left-wing. How does the RSS in Tamil Nadu perceive the relationship between these two nationalist ideas?

Dravidianism as an ideology does not have a clear definition.

Outside Tamil Nadu, it has virtually no takers. Is it based on language or geography or ideology? Those who claim to be patrons of the ideology have not come up with a clear answer to this question for around 100 years now. Tamil nationalism, meanwhile, is not a new concept. It also has not had many takers in all these years. We are not sure whether these organisations themselves accept your labelling of 'left-wing' vs 'right-wing'.