Mazharul Haque (32) — son of a businessman originally from Bihar is the new entrant to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and according to him Hindutva is “synonymous with Indianness” and “all Indians are Hindus.”
“Hindutva has got nothing to do with Hinduism. It is synonymous to Indianness. All Indians are Hindus in the sense that they are inhabitants of India. There should not be any controversy regarding this,’’ he said.
As per reports in the Indian Express, Haque is one of the 15 new swayamsevaks who applied online for the organisation’s membership about six months ago.
He was inducted into the RSS at a camp in Uluberia in Howrah last Sunday along with 14 new swayamsevaks.
Haque, a resident of Asansol in Burdwan district got attracted to RSS after the Modi administration came to power at the Centre in May 2014.
“I believed Prime Minister Narendra Modi would bring India to the path of development with the help of science and technology.He is a politician with a vision. I wrote to the Prime Minister suggesting ways to make India scientifically developed,” he said.
Haque added: “Then I wanted to join BJP. As I was surfing Internet, I stumbled on the RSS website. I read books and was convinced that there could be no clash between the RSS ideology and any religion, including Islam. RSS speaks of nationalism, the greatness of our country. I understood anybody — Muslim, Christian, Jain, etc — can join the organisation. Hence, the decision to become a swayamsevak.”
A devout Muslim and the father of three children enjoy backing from his family and friends in his new endeavor.
RSS spokesman Jishnu Basu said: “Among those who joined us are IT professionals. All, including Haque, are responding to our instructions in an excellent manner.”
According to Bidyut Mukherjee, Sauho Pranta Pracharak of RSS in South Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, since 2014, around 10,300 new swayamsevaks have been inducted into the organisation.