RSS and Israel’s Zionist Regime Are Ideological Twins: CM Pinarayi Vijayan

K V Sudheesh Nagar (Kozhikode): Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched a scathing attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), equating its ideology to global terrorist movements. “The RSS in India and the Zionist regime in Israel are ideological twins,” he said. “The world condemned Hitler for the massacre of Jews, but the RSS admired him and even said his actions were worthy of emulation.”

He was speaking at the public meeting marking the culmination of the 18th All India Conference of the Students’ Federation of India (SFI), held at Kozhikode Beach.

The Chief Minister alleged that the RSS does not operate within democratic frameworks. “They have borrowed Mussolini's fascist organisational model and Hitler’s Nazi ideology. Their ideologue M S Golwalkar, in his book Bunch of Thoughts*, identified Christians, Muslims, and Communists as enemies of the nation. These ideas were directly lifted from Hitler, who also targeted Bolsheviks and Jews as enemies of the state.”

He drew parallels between past and present, stating that the RSS had no role in the Indian freedom struggle and actively stayed away from it. “Today, what the Congress began, the BJP is executing with renewed aggression,” he remarked. “India, once respected for its anti-colonial stance, is now being viewed differently by the global community.”

Citing India's position on international conflicts, Vijayan said the country’s foreign policy had taken a regressive turn. “While most nations supported Palestine at the UN General Assembly, India abstained. The Prime Minister openly endorsed Israel, even refusing to condemn its attacks on Iran. India has reached a point where it hesitates to speak out against Israel’s war crimes, simply because it wants to align with the United States.”

He further warned of ideological manipulation through education. “The BJP, with the RSS’s approval, is working to distort history through textbook revisions. The portrayal of Savarkar as a national hero, despite his plea for clemency during the freedom struggle, is part of this agenda. They are even attempting to paint Mahatma Gandhi as the villain while glorifying Nathuram Godse.”

In this context, the Chief Minister stressed the importance of student organisations like the SFI. “When democratic institutions are under threat and education is being communalised and commercialised, organisations like the SFI have a major role to play.”

Vijayan also highlighted the resistance put up by the Kerala government against the Centre’s education policies. “When the Union Government directed changes in school textbooks, the LDF government opposed it and retained the chapters they had asked to remove.”

He noted that the academic excellence and infrastructural development in Kerala have propelled the state's public education sector. “Kerala’s higher education is now recognised nationally, with 16 of our colleges in the country’s top 100. The number of foreign students coming to study here is also increasing.”

In the present times, the SFI has to shoulder many new responsibilities. On one side, there are attempts to saffronise the education system and rewrite history. On the other, actions are being taken that endanger the very existence of the nation. SFI has always followed an anti-imperialist approach and a steadfast stance against communalism. This is a movement that has witnessed the martyrdom of many comrades during these struggles. They were targeted and killed because they upheld and acted upon the ideals of SFI. Yet, the organisation never faltered. SFI must now strive to reach even greater heights, the Chief Minister said.