New Delhi: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is all set to come up with its own version of dastangoi – a 16th century Urdu story-telling form that celebrates the valour of Islamic heroes – but the proposed ‘Katha Sagar’ will narrate in Hindi the legend of RSS founder KB Hedgewar, Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar and iconic Rajput king Rana Pratap.
“We are finalizing professionals for the dastangoi style of storytelling of our mahapurush or any of our great events. But we would not like to call it kissagoi or dastangoi because it is a medieval art form and is an Urdu tradition. We will go by our own sruti parampara and probably call it katha sagar,” a senior RSS functionary involved in the process told News18.
The new Katha Sagar series is likely to make its first appearance at the World Book Fair in New Delhi in 2017 slated to begin on January 7 where the Sangh plans to make its presence felt in a “bigger” and “better” way.
“There is going to be a big focus on catching children and youth. There will be events and books to break the false image of the Sangh and to show children the way in a stress-driven lifestyle,” Rakesh Aggarwal of Suruchi Prakashan, the RSS-affiliated publishing firm, told News18.
He said that RSS leaders will hold sessions to promote a “cerebral and rational image” of RSS. “There will be events to break the stereotype about Sangh. We are not a bunch of rabble rousers or fanatics,” Agarwal said.
The Sangh will focus on their ideologue and trade union leader the late Dattopant Bapurao Thengadi, who had founded Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh. There will also be a panel discussion on his life and works, and the volumes written on the subject.
The occasion will also see a new book on Madhukar Dattatraya Deoras, popularly known as Balasaheb Deoras, who was the third Sarsanghchalak of the RSS, being released. He denounced the practice of untouchability and worked for samajik samarsata or social engineering, said Aggarwal, adding that the discussion will be on the lesser known facts on their lives that promote a different image of the Sangh, which, he said is seen a brahmanical organization.
The publisher has come out with mini-series priced at Rs 10, Rs 5 on the life of Indian thinkers and achievers from different fields. There will also be books on “parivar prabodhan” and “samaj”.