Domestic & global terrorist crimes of India’s RSS

TODAY, India’s BJP is alleged to resurrect and orchestrate political, religious and cultural transnationalism under Hindutva and the RSS, reflecting India’s disputed attempt at expanding its cultural and political influence beyond national borders. In this controversial desire to reposition itself as the guardian of Hindu identity under the banner of the RSS, the BJP regime faces intense scrutiny due to its alleged involvement in promoting right-wing terrorism at both the domestic and international level. Needless to say, under premier Naredndra Modi, India’s departure from a secular state to an extremist Hindu state has certainly raised global concerns. India is actively facing severe, internationally investigated allegations from Western intelligence and human rights bodies regarding a global campaign of transnational repression, intimidation and violence targeting diaspora dissidents, specifically within the Sikh community. On May 15, Reuters reported that India’s Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is actively lobbying foreign governments and institutions in the US, UK and Germany to counter international criticism over rising hate speech and violence against religious minorities in India. The RSS has engaged a prominent US lobbying firm to counter the raising concerns regarding RSS’s alleged role in domestic and international terrorism while making an impotent effort to shape global narratives and defend its domestic policies abroad. And yet, the resurgence of India’s transnationalism under Hindutva and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) reflects a shift from a domestic cultural project to a globally embedded ideological movement. Driven by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—the political wing of the RSS—India leverages its massive diaspora to project cultural power, shape international public opinion and influence geopolitics. Some observers draw parallels between India’s RSS and Nazi Germany’s SS and SA, citing organizational structure, paramilitary tra