Sunil Ambekar is a pracharak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the national organising secretary of its student affiliate, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. He has just published a book, The RSS: Roadmap for the 21st Century, which details the thought and organisational setup of the Sangh. 

Ambekar sat down with Newslaundry editor-in-chief Madhu Trehan to talk about the ideology of Hindutva and how it seeks to shape India. In this first part of a two-part conversation, he also speaks about what he claims is the lack of flexibility in feminism to account for diverse experiences, the Supreme Court’s judgement enabling women devotees to enter Kerala’s Sabarimala temple, the philosophy behind the Sangh’s martial arts training of its members. He argues that Hindutva is “a way of life”. 

“Sometimes, a person thinks about themselves and then thinks others are different,” he adds. “Our relationship is formed by knowing others. So, Hindutva is what teaches us to realise affinity with others. Thus, in this way it respects diversities.”

He is dismayed by increasing divorce rates in the country and believes a change in the mindset of men is needed to address this. “The subject of our concern should be why this is happening,” he argues. “If family’s mindset is causing women to file divorce, then somewhere in society, the role of family and its members needs to be discussed. So, the Sangh is working on to revisit this.” 

Also Watch: ‘Hindu Rashtra is inclusive’: RSS leader Sunil Ambekar speaks with Madhu Trehan (Part 2)