31 August 2024: The Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG), comprising over 100 former civil servants, has raised alarm over the recent decision by the Union Government to lift the ban on civil servants affiliating with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The group has urged the government to immediately withdraw this directive, expressing concerns about its potential impact on the integrity of the civil services and the secular fabric of India, reported The Wire.
In a strongly worded statement, the CCG emphasized that the primary responsibility of civil administrators and police officers is to uphold and defend the Constitution of India, which includes safeguarding the rights of all citizens, particularly religious and caste minorities. The group stressed that civil servants must remain impartial and committed to the principles of fairness and the values enshrined in the Constitution.
The CCG highlighted that India’s social structure remains deeply divided along lines of caste, religion, and gender. They warned that allowing civil servants to align openly with an organization like the RSS, which is ideologically opposed to secularism, could exacerbate these divisions. The group further expressed concern that this directive could lead to a scenario where district magistrates, police officers, and other government officials could openly affiliate with an organization that challenges the pluralistic foundation of the Indian Constitution.
The government’s defence of the decision, which characterizes the RSS as a cultural rather than a political organization, was rejected by the CCG. They argued that the core ideology of the RSS, which seeks to establish a Hindu Rashtra, directly contradicts the principles of equal citizenship guaranteed by the Indian Constitution. The group also pointed to the close ties between the RSS and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), raising concerns about the integrity of the electoral process when public officials are allowed to align with such an organization.
The statement also cited the involvement of RSS-affiliated individuals in hate speeches and communal violence, referencing multiple judicial inquiries that have implicated the organization in deadly riots. The CCG emphasized that civil servants must remain loyal to the Constitution and resist any orders that threaten the rights of marginalized citizens.
The group invoked the legacy of India’s first Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who described the civil services as the “steel frame” of the nation. They warned that the new directive threatens to dismantle this steel frame, particularly during times of communal or caste violence, and urged the government to revoke the decision to protect the integrity of the civil services and the Constitution.
The statement was signed by 115 prominent former civil servants, including former ambassadors, secretaries, and police officers, all of whom share a deep concern for the future of India’s democracy and secularism.
