KANCHA ILAIAH SHEPHERD: RSS' vegetarian army, in times of conflict with Pakistan and China

By Dilip -
Which army is currently protecting India’s borders - the vegetarian RSS army or the multi-cuisine, multicultural Indian army? And who can do a better job? India has two armies, as I see it. One, the regular force which protects the country’s borders and pitches in when there is a natural disaster or internal conflict. The other is the army of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

The state-recruited army is trained in a way that it is mindful of multiculturalism. In terms of physical preparedness, it follows global standards. It stands for the whole nation - not one section of the country. Its diet, as apt for an army anywhere, consists of meat, fish and vegetables, based on the weather conditions in which the battalion is serving. This army is trained to face the Chinese and the Pakistan military forces in very difficult terrains where chilling cold, high altitude, snowfall, heavy rains and rapid river flows are normal. Hundreds of army men have died on the India-Pakistan border guarding India. The religion, food habits and cultural practices of the people the army is protecting do not matter because the institution is apolitical. Who remains in power doesn’t matter to the institution as long as the person or party gets power following the people’s mandate.

Express editorial: It will hurt democracy if Balakot leaves behind only the patriotism test // Nationalism Is Being Used To Divide People: Pratap Bhanu Mehta

The other army operational in the country is recruited by the 'sarsanghchalak' (head of the RSS) and his team. The men trained by the RSS are then deputed to the various wings of the outfit.
This army follows the Hindutva ideology and is meant to protect Hindus and the Varna system - Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, Chadals and Vanavas. This army recruits men with a strict condition - that they would follow vegetarianism and worship cows, no matter whether the local culture prescribes it or not. Those who join this army must believe that all beef-eaters should be treated as ‘non-Indian’. No Muslim, no Christian, unless one gives up that religion, is eligible to join this army. It admits Jains and Buddhists if they adhere to the Hindutva ideology.

Amit Shah is one such representative, now heading the BJP, the political wing of the RSS. He has reportedly at times supported those who have called for beef-eaters to be sent to Pakistan. This RSS army’s chief, Mohan Bhagwat once said: "Preparing an Army takes six to seven months but we (RSS cadres) will be battle ready in two-three days... this is our capability and discipline that marks us apart.".. read more:
https://www.dailyo.in/variety/rss-rashtriya-swayamsevak-sangh-beef-ban-indian-army-vegetarianism-abhinandan-varthman-indian-air-force-beef-politics/story/1/29789.html

see also
Express editorial: It will hurt democracy if Balakot leaves behind only the patriotism test // Nationalism Is Being Used To Divide People: Pratap Bhanu Mehta
Piyasree Dasgupta - Rape Threats, Fake News, Mob Violence: How Right Wingers Attacked People For Facebook Posts After Pulwama Attack
Ajai Sahni: Blind Escalation
A message and an appeal  
Peace as a punctuation mark in eternal war 
The Political Function of the Modern Lie
The Manifesto of the Anti-Fascist Intellectuals: Written by Benedetto Croce (1925)
The Aporias of Marxism / Archaism and Modernity. By Enzo Traverso   
The Broken Middle - on the 30th anniversary of 1984
The Law of Killing: a brief history of Indian fascism
Comrade Satyapal Dang: Lessons of Punjab have Relevance for Kashmir






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