Ratan Tata gets invited for an RSS-affiliated charity

An RSS-affiliated charity's invite to Ratan Tata ignites debate; non-profit hits back saying stress on philanthropy, not on needless controversy

Arvinash Khare with the portrait of Nana Palkar at Nana Palkar Smruti Samiti in Parel. Pics/Suresh KK

Avinash Khare, secretary of the non-profit Nana Palkar Smruti Samiti in Parel smiled wryly as he said in greeting, "In 50 years of our work, we have not received as much attention as now, and, this is because of the controversy generated by media reports that Mr. Ratan Tata is invited to our function."

Khare's statement comes in the light of a debate that has ignited over the announcement that industrialist Ratan Tata will be sharing the stage with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat at a Nana Palkar Smruti Samiti event to be held Yashwant Natya Mandir in Matunga on August 24. The Samiti is affiliated to the RSS, the Hindu nationalist organisation widely regarded as the parent body of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The late Nana Palkar, after whom the Samiti is named, was an RSS full-timer, ideologue, writer and poet. The event will mark the Samiti's 50-year (golden jubilee)âu00c2u0080u00c2u0088celebrations.

Ratan Tata with Aditya Thackeray at a Mumbai function

Free stay
The Samiti's 10-storied headquarters are at Parel, close to Tata Memorial hospital. The non-profit works for underprivileged cancer patients. The centre was a beehive of activity when we visited. The building's top floors have 38 rooms for poor, outstation cancer patients undergoing treatment at Tata. Two cancer patients to a room along with two relatives each can stay, "for one month free of cost," said Khare even as we saw patients walk in the spick 'n' span corridors of the building. A dialysis centre with 14 machines (each one given by a donor) and a pathology lab at the centre, saw a lot of activity as, "the rates are very low," said Khare, who added that they have appealed to the government, "for much needed space."

The book on Israel by the late Nana Palkar

Khare said, talking about the August 24 event, "We will also release an English and Hindi translation of Palkar's Marathi book about Israel called 'Chada karoon bala kadhe' (From torture to strength.) Khare refused to be drawn into the debate. "Ratan Tataji has accepted the invite and confirmed that he will attend. We have old, strong ties to Tata Hospital," he said.

A Tata Trust spokesperson refused to comment, simply stating that it is a, "personal visit."

Cancer patient Ashish S staying in the Samiti room

Pranab's visit
Every media report about Tata's invite so far has the inevitable parallel about former president Pranab Mukherjee's visit to an RSS function in Nagpur on June 7, which had invited censure from some Congress functionaries. The ex-Prez's daughter too had tweeted against her father's visit saying it would be exploited by the BJP's 'dirty tricks department'.

Shaina NC, BJP spokesperson, had taken Ratan Tata on a visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, on Tata's 79th birthday in 2016. She said firmly, "The RSS is a nationalistic organisation concerned with nation building."

Former president Pranab Mukherjee speaks as RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat adjusts the mike at an (RSS) event in Nagpur on June 7, 2018. Pic/PTI

Mumbai's Ashish Chauhan, general secretary, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), an organisation with the same ideology as the RSS, said, "Even Azim Premji has shared the dais with Bhagwat." Premji had spoken at a function in New Delhi in 2015, after being invited by Bhagwat. Even the IT czar had to clear apprehension then, by saying that, "speaking at a forum does not mean that one endorses all or any of the views of the organisation."

The Bombay Parsi Panchayat (BPP) chairman, Yazdi Desai said in response to community sentiment, "We feel no concern about this event." Desai explained, "in the Parsi community, in the issue of protesting against the Metro 3 line going under the Atash Bherams and desecrating the spiritual strength of our Holy Fires, the Orthodox came together with the diametrically opposite reformist lobby under one umbrella." Desai concluded adding, "So, Mr Ratan Tata associating with the RSS for benefit of society at large, should be encouraged."

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