As RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat visits the United States during the organisation's centenary year, protests have followed him in several cities. Petitions from diaspora groups, criticism from academics and concerns raised by civil rights activists suggest that this is about more than one man's visit. At the heart of the controversy lies a much larger debate: the kind of India the RSS wants to build.

For almost a century, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has pursued a vision that extends well beyond electoral politics. Its goal has not simply been to influence governments, but to reshape the very idea of India.

When India emerged from the trauma of Partition, its leaders adopted a vision of citizenship that sought to accommodate the country's immense diversity. The republic was not to belong exclusively to any one religion, language or ethnic group. The Constitution, rather than religious identity, was to serve as the foundation of the state.

The RSS viewed India differently. For it, India has always been primarily a Hindu civilisation whose political identity should reflect its cultural and historical roots. This difference may seem theoretical, but it has major implications. If India is understood first as a constitutional republic, diversity becomes a source of strength. If it is understood first as a civilisational state, diversity may be regarded as something that must be absorbed into a larger cultural framework.

Much of India's contemporary political debate can be understood through this clash of visions.

The RSS recognised........

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