1927 Nagpur Riots: Planned Attack on Mahalakshmi Puja Thwarted by the RSS

On September 4, 1927, the city of Nagpur, then part of British India’s Central Provinces and Berar, witnessed a violent outbreak during the Mahalakshmi Puja celebrations.

As part of the annual festivities, a grand procession carrying Goddess Lakshmi’s idol made its way through the city. However, tensions arose when the procession was halted by Muslims in the Mahl area of Nagpur.

That evening, armed with deadly weapons, Muslims took to the streets, escalating the unrest. Author M.G. Chitkara, in his book Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh: National Upsurge (2004), details their sinister motives—

“A huge procession armed with lethal weapons and shouting war cries like “Allah-ho-Akbar”, etc. was taken out just at that hour in the afternoon when Hindus would be relaxing after the hectic rituals since morning and a sumptuous lunch. The plan was to sneak into the lanes and by lanes after reaching the Mahal area and attack the unguarded Hindu families, and loot and plunder their homes.“

Amid chants of ‘Allah-hu-Akbar,’ the Muslims entered the Hindu neighborhoods, only to see their plans thwarted. Just four years ago, the Hindus had been largely disorganized, but now they were ready for a shift.

“…The attackers began receiving severe beatings by well-positioned and adequately prepared youth, giving a delightful demonstration of their training in the “lathi” art (stick-wielding technique) breaking the heads and bones of the rioters who took to their heels. The Hindus had thereby, for the first time, convincingly proved their readiness and capacity to face and tackle any such situation.The thrilling news of the ignominious rout of the Muslim rioters spread like lightning throughout Nagpur,” according to the author M. G. Chitkara.

The Muslim 'template of violence' that had been effective in 1923 was ultimately thwarted. A report published by The New York Times on September 7, 1927, stated – “The casualties in the Nagpur Hindu-Moslem riots up to this morning total twenty-five killed and 180 injured.“

Resistance by the RSS

RSS biographer C.P. Bhishikar narrates the events of September 4, 1927, as follows (excerpt from pages 43 and 44 of his 1979 book Keshav: Sangh Nirmata) –

“…The Muslims hatched a conspiracy to bring out a massive procession on September 4, 1927 (Mahalakshmi Puja day) and indulge in rioting. The procession was scheduled for the afternoon, a time during which Hindus would be resting after lunch.

The Sangh workers got wind of the plan, and knew that the procession was going to be attended by riot. Doctorji was personally out of Nagpur on that day. The procession was to pass through the Mahl area, an educated middle class locality. On both sides of the route there were a number of narrow lanes.

The processionists were equipped with lathis, javelins, knives, daggers. Those who wanted to indulge in violence and loot indulged in thunderous slogans of ‘Allah ho Akbar’ and ‘din din’ and attacked a house situated in one of the narrow lanes. But at the entrance itself, they got a thorough beating.

Thereafter they got thrashing at every lane entrance. Several rioters had their heads broken. The procession broke up and people began to run. The fleeing goondas (hooligans) beat up the lone Hindus they found in the way.

After the first retaliation against the Muslim intrusion several Hindus left their lunch unfinished in anger and came out; by the evening they beat back the invaders. For three days there-after stray incidents continued.

The atmosphere remained tense but not a single Hindu locality was attacked. The Hindu society showed a unity and militancy which inspired self-confidence.“

Shifting Paradigms in Addressing Muslim Aggression

Page 241 of the book Fundamentalisms and the State: Remaking Polities, Economies, and Militance (1993) recognizes the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh's role in safeguarding the Hindu community from Islamist aggression.

“When communal rioting broke out in 1927, sixteen RSS squads moved into various neighbourhoods to provide protection.” Consequently, the RSS gained popularity and solidified its reputation as the 'protector of the Hindu community.'

Tapan Basu, on page 20 of his book Khaki Shorts and Saffron Flags: A Critique of the Hindu Right (1986), reluctantly acknowledges –

“The Nagpur riot vastly enhanced RSS prestige, for the word spread around that a hundred Hedgewar boys had successfully repulsed

a violent Muslim mob.“

One of the most notable developments of 1927 was the shift in how Hindus responded to Muslim aggression and street veto. This change in attitude was prominently evident during that year's Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations.

RSS pracharak Vasantrao Oke, in his testimony (as reproduced on Page 249 of MG Chikara’s Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh: National Upsurge), states –

“In 1927, there were riots in Nagpur. Hindus were defensive. [In the past] Muslims stopped the Ganesh processions when they passed before a mosque with music. However, in 1927 Dr Hedgewar came in front of the procession, from the beginning, on the mosque road till the tank while beating the drums. Because of him all the others also came along beating the drums. They had the courage then. I took Dr Hedgewar as a challenge against injustice.“

The Persistent Narrative of Muslims Being "Provoked"

In the 1920s, Muslims would often run rampant in the streets, attacking Hindus over trivial provocations. RSS leader KB Hedgewar referred to these attacks as solely ‘Muslim riots’ (instead of Hindu-Muslim riots), as they were perpetrated unilaterally by Muslims.

Hedgewar believed these riots were sparked by the failure of the Khilafat movement and the Muslim perception that Hindus were disorganised and thus vulnerable.

As KB Hedgewar sought to unite the Hindu community through the RSS, he became a significant obstacle to the Islamist agenda of overpowering Hindus. As a result, he frequently received threatening letters and had his house vandalised.

In 1923, Muslims successfully incited violence in Nagpur and believed they could easily replicate the violence in 1927. However, they were mistaken.

By then, under Hedgewar’s leadership, the RSS had become the first line of defence for the Hindu community. This resistance was so effective that Nagpur never saw another riot throughout the 20th century.

While Muslims continued to stir trouble in other parts of India, often claiming they were ‘provoked’ by Hindu religious processions, they refrained from causing any disturbances in the RSS stronghold of Nagpur.

“Nagpur had the honour to open a new page in history by leaving behind that ugly tradition and teaching a telling lesson to the aggressors. The benefits of this healthy change has been enjoyed by the citizens of Nagpur ever since, as Nagpur has never again seen any serious attempt by Muslims to start any disturbance,” stated author M. G. Chitkara.

(This Article was originally published by OpIndia)