Rahul Gandhi drew a distinction between the RSS’s worldview and Mahatma Gandhi’s idea of ‘Swaraj.

NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha leader of opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi Thursday accused the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) of trying to impose its idea of truth on people across India, arguing that every individual must have the freedom to find and define their own truth.Speaking at the “Hara Bhara Swaraj: A Tribute to Rajiv Gandhi‘s Vision” programme in New Delhi, the Gandhi Scion described the ideological contest in India as a deeper struggle over how people understand themselves, freedom and their place in society.The Congress leader also drew a distinction between the RSS’s worldview and Mahatma Gandhi‘s idea of ‘Swaraj’, saying no organisation or individual could claim to know what is true for another person.“What Gandhiji was saying was that every living being is a unique entity with their own path towards the truth. I cannot tell you what your truth is. Today, the ideological battle in India is precisely that. It is not fundamentally about environment, politics, or free media–those are symptoms. The real fight is that a small group of people have decided, because they control the system, that they know the truth of everyone in this country. That is my problem with the RSS: the RSS has decided that they know the truth of 1.5 billion people. And I say, no. Only 1.5 billion people can know their own truth,” Rahul Gandhi asserted.He said even he could not claim to understand another person’s truth because people’s experiences, families and circumstances are different.“And I say, no. Only 1.5 billion people can know their own truth. Even I cannot do that. If I begin to believe that I know your truth, I would be a madman. Because I am not you. I haven’t faced what you’ve faced; I haven’t seen what you’ve seen; I haven’t dealt with what you’ve dealt with. I don’t have the same parents, the same friends, or the same life. So how can I say that I know your truth?” he added.

‘My Experiments with Truth’ reflects individual journeys

Rahul Gandhi then referred to Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography, ‘My Experiments with Truth’, saying its title itself reflected the idea that truth is something each person explores through their own life.“Please notice, Gandhiji’s book was not called ‘The Truth’ or ‘My Understanding of the Truth’. It was titled ‘My Experiments with Truth’. I have experiments with my truth; you have experiments with your truth.”

Rahul targets BJP-RSS over ‘exclusion’

The Congress leader also criticised the BJP and RSS over what he described as the exclusion of sections of Indian society. He said people from different religious and social communities must feel that they have an equal place in the country.“Imagine what the BJP and RSS have done. Imagine if I walked into this room and told 15-17 per cent of you–Muslims, Christians, Sikhs–‘You do not exist, and if you speak up, see what happens to you.’ Then telling 10 per cent Adivasis, ‘We will take your land whenever we want, and if you resist, we will shoot you,’ and Dalits, ‘You are complaining for nothing; everything is fine with the caste system.’ That is what is being done to our motherland. Every single person in this country–regardless of religion, community, or gender–must feel: ‘I belong here. I can walk freely in this country. I am loved, respected, and appreciated here, and my search for truth matters to the nation,’” he said.

Gandhi’s Swaraj is more than freedom: Rahul

Rahul Gandhi also explained why he believes ‘Swaraj’ should not simply be understood as the same thing as freedom or liberty in the Western sense.He used US President Donald Trump and Mahatma Gandhi to illustrate the difference, arguing that being legally free does not necessarily mean having control over one’s own actions and desires.“‘Swaraj’ is often confused with the Western word ‘freedom.’ People think that Swaraj means freedom; that it means liberty or independence. No–Swaraj means rule over oneself (Swa par raj / self-governance). If you go to America and ask, ‘Is Trump a free man?’, everyone will say, ‘Absolutely.’ But if you ask, ‘Does Trump rule over himself?’, the clear answer is, ‘No, he does not.’ Whereas Gandhiji in a prison 80 years ago would say, ‘I am not free, but I rule over myself. It is Swaraj,’” he explained.The Congress leader said this understanding of Swaraj makes it a personal responsibility rather than something that can simply be granted by a government or another person.“Swaraj is an Indian concept, and it carries deep responsibility. It is a way of thinking, and it is an individual project. I cannot give you Swaraj. Whatever I do… in a Western sense, I can grant you freedom by saying, ‘You are not in prison; I have given you freedom.’