look news india
A new and much-discussed organization has recently been registered in the Washington-based US Department of Justice, which has attracted the attention of political and social analysts at the international level. Name of this new group ‘RSS Friends’ Is. This organization, registered in America under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA – Foreign Agents Registration Act), has described the New Delhi-based Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as its ‘foreign principal’. As soon as this step comes to light, questions are being raised that what is ‘RSS Friends’, what is the reason for registering it as a foreign agent under the US Justice Department and how is this new group of RSS supporters going to work on American soil.
‘RSS Friends’ is a formal group of RSS supporters, volunteers and well-wishers in the US, which has registered its main administrative base in the US state of Georgia. The group’s board of directors includes prominent NRI names like Rajendra Sonarikar, Jayant Pant and Devanand Gaddam. According to the US law FARA, if any US organization or group works for the ideology, public relations or information dissemination of a foreign organization, government or body, it is mandatory to register itself with the Department of Justice following a transparent process. Adopting this legal process, RSS Friends have registered themselves so that they can openly conduct their activities and communication programs in America without any legal hindrance.
According to the registration documents and PTI reports, the biggest objective behind the formation and registration of ‘RSS Friends’ is to provide a factual answer to the misconceptions, incomplete information and misleading reporting spread about the RSS in the US. In America’s mainstream media, think tanks and educational institutions, controversial or one-sided things are often said about the ideology of the Sangh. The main goal of RSS Friends is to reach out to the American society, policy makers and the Indian community living there to present the true nature of the real work of the Sangh—such as social service, disaster management, cultural awareness and the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. The group has also clarified that they have no formal salaried or commercial contract with the RSS, but will work to uncover facts as a volunteer body.
The foreign agent filing clarifies that RSS Friends will organize informational, educational, public relations and community engagement programs across the US. The group will reach out to American citizens and Indians through seminars, discussions, press conferences and public events. On the lines of grand programs like ‘Universal Oneness Celebration’ recently organized at Madison Square Garden in New York, this organization will run awareness campaigns on the positive aspects of Indian culture, pluralism and Hindu philosophy in various states of America. To maintain transparency under FARA filings, the group is required to regularly submit reports on its annual activities, income-expenses and programs to the US Department of Justice.