Mohan Bhagwat Recalls How Ibrahim Defended RSS During First Ban Attempt in 1930s

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat recalled a historical episode from the 1930s when an individual named Ibrahim spoke in support of the Sangh during an attempt to impose the first ban on the organisation in the Central Provinces Assembly.

Speaking at the inauguration of a newly constructed auditorium at the renovated headquarters of Nagpur Nagrik Sahakari Bank Limited, Bhagwat highlighted how Ibrahim had defended the RSS, arguing that the organisation should not be shut down as it was not communal.

Recounting the incident, Bhagwat said that during the debate, there was no Swayamsevak present to defend the Sangh, nor was anyone else supporting its ideology. However, Ibrahim stood up in its defence and spoke about his acquaintance with Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the founder of the RSS.

Bhagwat recalled Ibrahim's remarks, in which he reportedly said that people who described India as a 'Hindu Rashtra' should be sent to a mental hospital. However, he added that he knew Dr Hedgewar personally and considered him a good person who was not mentally unsound. On that basis, Ibrahim argued that the Sangh could not be communal.

Bhagwat noted that the organisation was still in its early years at the time and had not yet become widely known, although Dr Hedgewar was recognised by many.
Emphasising the identity and continuity of the organisation, the RSS chief said that from its inception, the Swayamsevak had become the defining identity of the Sangh.

"Even today, after 100 years, Swayamsevak is Sangh's identity," Bhagwat said, underlining the central role of its volunteers in the organisation's journey over the decades.

His remarks revisited an episode from the RSS's early history while highlighting the importance of individual volunteers and their role in shaping the organisation's identity.