Tamil Nadu Model: Lesson in containing RSS without a ban
A year before the Karnataka Assembly elections, RSS functionary Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat made a controversial statement at a VHP event in Mangaluru, saying that “the saffron flag could replace the Tricolour as the national flag someday.” The same year, Bhat was invited to inaugurate the postgraduate students’ council at Mangalore University — an incident that many saw as proof of how deeply the RSS ideology has penetrated public institutions.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) describes itself as a cultural and nationalist organisation. However, its record and actions often tell a different story. Over the years, several of its leaders have made remarks against the national flag, the national anthem, the Constitution, and secularism. The organisation has also faced allegations of involvement in violence targeting minority communities, documented by judicial commissions and human rights groups.
The RSS Network: Cultural Front, Political Reach
The RSS projects itself as a cultural movement, but its structure and influence are deeply political. Through its daily shakhas, paramilitary-style drills, ideological sessions, and a vast network of temples and educational institutions, it has built one of the largest organised networks in India.
The RSS can easily shift roles presenting itself as a cultural body in normal times, as a mobilising force during communal tensions, and as the BJP’s grassroots machinery during elections. This flexibility gives the organisation a wide reach and makes it a significant force in both social and political life.
A Wake-Up Call for Secular Governments
Non-BJP, secular state governments have recently started recognising the challenges posed by the RSS’s growing influence. In Karnataka, thousands of RSS Vijayadashami rallies were held across the state this year with full administrative support, even as other organisations faced restrictions.
The large turnout prompted Karnataka IT and Biotechnology Minister Priyank Kharge to write to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, urging the government to regulate RSS activities in public spaces. Following this, Siddaramaiah directed the Chief Secretary to study the Tamil Nadu model a governance-based method of restricting RSS activities without imposing an outright ban.
The Tamil Nadu Model: Restricting Without Banning
The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government has developed a practical model to contain the RSS through administrative measures rather than confrontation. Using executive orders, police directives, and departmental circulars, the state limits RSS activities in government offices, schools, and public spaces. This approach avoids legal complications while ensuring that public institutions remain ideologically neutral.
It is a model that focuses on governance rather than politics using existing laws to prevent misuse of public property for ideological mobilisation.
Key Measures Taken by Tamil Nadu
- Restricting Use of Government School Premises
In September 2024, the School Education Department issued a circular instructing headmasters not to allow any external events on school premises without prior permission. Local authorities have since applied this rule to prevent RSS shakhas and non-school activities in government campuses.
- Detaining RSS Members for Violations
In October 2025, 39 RSS members were detained in Porur, Chennai, for holding a shakha inside a government school without permission. In another case, 47 workers were detained for trying to organise a Vijayadashami event in a government institution. These actions reinforced that public property cannot be used for political or ideological purposes.
- Ban on RSS Events in Government Premises
The Tamil Nadu government has prohibited RSS from holding shakhas, training camps, or public meetings on government land, in buildings, or in aided institutions. The aim is to prevent ideological indoctrination and maintain secularism in state institutions.
- Extending Restrictions to RSS-Affiliated Bodies
In February 2023, the Higher Education Department issued a notification barring student organisations affiliated with the RSS, such as the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), from conducting political or ideological activities on campuses without prior permission. Vice-Chancellors and principals were directed to ensure that the secular ethos of universities like Anna University and Madras University is maintained.
- Denying Permissions for Route Marches and Rallies
On Gandhi Jayanti, the Tamil Nadu government denied permission for RSS route marches across the state, citing law-and-order concerns. The Madras High Court later allowed limited marches under strict conditions, including a participant cap, sound restrictions, and fixed routes. The RSS was also made responsible for maintaining order and cleanliness at the venues.
- Using Legal Remedies to Uphold Restrictions
While the Madras High Court later directed the police to allow route marches at select locations, the state appealed to the Supreme Court, defending its right to impose reasonable restrictions. This shows Tamil Nadu’s determination to use every available legal and administrative tool to maintain public order and prevent ideological influence in public spaces.
- Monitoring by the State Intelligence Wing
The Tamil Nadu Intelligence Wing regularly monitors RSS activities and submits quarterly reports to the Home Department. Based on these inputs, several RSS programmes have been stopped for violating state rules. In 2024 alone, 15 such events were cancelled in Chennai. The government also extended these restrictions to “quasi-government” premises like temples managed by the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department. Between 2023 and 2025, over 100 RSS event permissions were denied across Tamil Nadu.
For Karnataka, a Lesson in Secular Governance
For Karnataka and other non-BJP states, Tamil Nadu’s approach offers an example of how to protect secular governance within the law. The model avoids direct confrontation while ensuring that public institutions do not become tools of ideological influence.
Adopting such a model is not about political rivalry; it is about upholding the Constitution and the secular principles on which the country stands. When any organisation is allowed to hold mass rallies with full administrative backing, use schools or temples for mobilisation, and turn religion into a political weapon, it becomes a threat to democratic governance.
Tamil Nadu has shown that it is possible to act firmly and lawfully to preserve the state’s secular fabric. Whether Karnataka and other governments can implement similar measures with the same resolve and political courage will be a true test of their commitment to the Constitution.
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8 children between ages of 1 and 14 dead after mass shooting in Louisiana, police say
Shreveport(US) (AP): A gunman in Louisiana killed eight children in shootings at two different homes early Sunday in the nation's deadliest mass shooting in more than two years, police in Shreveport said.
The victims ranged in age from one to about 14 years old, said Shreveport police spokesperson Chris Bordelon. A total of 10 were shot and some of the children were related to the suspect, Bordelon said.
The gunman later died after a chase with officers who fired at the suspect, Bordelon said. The suspect stole a car while leaving the scene of the shootings and was followed by police, according to Bordelon.
Police did not release the name of the suspect but did say he was an adult male. The shootings were the result of a “domestic disturbance,” Bordelon said.
Officials said they were still gathering details at the crime scenes south of downtown Shreveport — the two homes and a third location.
“This is an extensive scene unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” he said.
It was the deadliest mass shooting in the US since eight people were killed in a Chicago suburb in January 2024, according to a database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University.
At a news conference outside the residence where one of the shootings occurred, officials appeared stunned, requesting patience and prayers from the community as they sorted through multiple crime scenes.
“I just don't know what to say, my heart is just taken aback,” Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. “I cannot begin to imagine how such an event could occur.”
“This is a tragic situation — maybe the worst tragic situation we've ever had,” said Tom Arceneaux, mayor of the city in northwestern Louisiana with about 180,000 residents. “It's a terrible morning.”
Louisiana State Police say their detectives have been asked by Shreveport police to investigate. In a statement, state police say no officers were harmed in the shooting that involved an officer after a police pursuit into Bossier City on Sunday morning.
State police are asking anyone with pictures, video or information to share it with state police detectives.
Louisiana Gov Jeff Landry said in a statement that he and his wife were heartbroken. “We're deeply grateful to the law enforcement officers and first responders working tirelessly on the scene,” he added.
