44“If Hindu Raj does become a fact,It will, no doubt, be the greatest calamity for this country... Hindu
Raj must be prevented at any cost.” - Dr B. R. Ambedkar’:
Thus begins the latest and very timely addition to important works written on the history of modern
Indian politics.
The RSS: A Menace to India (2019), written by lawyer-historian Abdul Gafoor Abdul Majeed Noo-
rani or A.G. Noorani and published by Leftword Books is a masterly work on the history of the Rash-
triya Swayamsevak Sangh from its formation in 1925 to its role and profound influence on India’s
contemporary, daily politics. This major meditation on the RSS comes after the thin volume The RSS
and the BJP: A Division of Labour (Leftword, 2000), this intensely researched work is 25 comprehen-
sive chapters that delve into various aspects of the organization as well as the crucial junctures that
shaped its character throughout Indian political history.
The work has come to us at such a juncture in India where it is important to both rejuvenate and
introspect our struggles, for we have an RSS-led government at the helm of affairs for the second
time. It is not a season of despair, but a season to learn and unlearn with greater dynamism and un-
derstanding. An extensive, deeply investigative work with a labyrinth of significant data and analysis
on the largest, richest, most influential right-wing political organization in the country is nothing
The RSS
A Menace to India
By A. G. Noorani
B O O K R E V I E W
Mukulika Radhakrishnan
Student Struggle | June - July 2019Indian Writers Forum