Centre scraps Indira Gandhi’s order banning Govt employees from taking part in RSS functions
On Sunday, the Narendra Modi-led NDA government lifted the over five-decade-long ban on government employees participating in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) activities. The ban, imposed in November 1966 during the rule of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, was removed on July 9, as per an office memorandum issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension.
The 1966 order, which banned government officials from taking part in activities of the RSS had stated, “As certain doubts have been raised about the government’s policy with respect to the membership of and participation in the activities of the Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh and the Jamaat-e-Islami by government servants, it is clarified that government has always held the activities of these two organizations to be of such a nature that participation in them by government servants would attract the Central Civil Services Conduct Rules”.
It further said that “Any government servant, who is a member of or is otherwise associated with the aforesaid organizations or with their activities is liable to disciplinary action”.
RSS, founded in 1925 faced its first ban in February 1948, days after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, father of the Nation. Later the ban was lifted and RSS was allowed to participate in the Republic Day parade in 1963. In 1966, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi first banned government officials from attending RSS functions. Though she passed this order, she attended many functions of RSS including the inauguration of Vivekananda Rock Memorial in 1970.
The current ban-lifting order was the outcome of the petition to the Modi government in 2018 by Sadhu Singh, Secretary General of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), the worker’s organization linked to RSS. The letter said that RSS is a social service organization and many government employees may be interested in doing social work for the benefit of nation-building but due to the ban order of 1966, 1970, and 1980, many government employees are prevented from participating in RSS functions. In 2025 – next year – RSS is celebrating its 100th year of formation and planning year-long programmes across the country.
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