Hemraj Rava Condemns Brother’s Attempt to Rewrite Bishnu Prasad Rabha’s Legacy

A political storm has erupted in Tezpur after MLA Prithviraj Rabha, son of cultural icon and Communist leader Bishnu Prasad Rabha, recited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) pledge during an event marking the organisation’s foundation day. The act has sparked criticism from several quarters, including from within his own family.

Hemraj Rava, the youngest son of Bishnu Prasad Rabha, publicly expressed disapproval of his elder brother’s participation in the RSS programme, accusing him of “distorting” their father’s ideals.

“Bishnu Rava was a man of Marxist conviction who joined the Communist movement not for power, but out of ideological commitment. To see his legacy being used to legitimise the ideology of an organisation he never supported is painful,” Hemraj Rava said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

He reminded that in 1967, Bishnu Prasad Rabha won the Tezpur Assembly seat as an independent candidate backed by leftist principles, not under any right-wing affiliation. “My father’s beliefs were rooted in humanism and equality. He never subscribed to the ideology of the RSS or any Hindutva organisation,” he wrote, lamenting that “today, even that proud cultural conscience of Tezpur seems lost.”

In an interview with a media organization earlier, Hemraj Rava further clarified, “First of all, Prithviraj’s association with RSS is his personal decision. He belongs to a political party, and it’s for his party leadership to comment on it. But bringing my father’s name to justify that move is unacceptable.”

He elaborated, “Bishnu Prasad Rabha was a scholar of extraordinary depth. He studied the Kalika Purana, Vishnu Purana, Yogini Tantra, Bhagavad Gita, and the Mahabharata, but he never used that scholarship to endorse any sectarian ideology. He was a cosmopolitan thinker — someone who studied the Bible, wrote about Jewish traditions, and viewed humanity as one collective spirit.”

Responding to Prithviraj Rabha’s recent statement at the RSS event — where he claimed that his father had advised him during his school days to observe the organisation’s drills under the guidance of teacher Narendra Dev Shastri — Hemraj countered, “If my father ever gave such advice, I was never told. Perhaps Prithviraj misunderstood some guidance. Our father was often away from home, so he might have asked him to consult his teacher, but that doesn’t mean he endorsed RSS ideology.”

Hemraj also questioned the credibility of claims circulated on social media, including one by writer Deben Baruah. “If Deben Baruah truly heard it from someone, he should clarify how and where. These claims need verification before being spread.”

Reaffirming his father’s ideological roots, Hemraj said, “Bishnu Prasad Rabha was a Marxist long before he joined the Communist Party. Communism for him was not just a political affiliation but a path to uplift humanity. You cannot separate his cultural legacy from his ideological beliefs.”

He continued, “Society-building requires ideological clarity. Bishnu Rabha’s socialism was an expression of that humanist ideal. Those who now try to appropriate him by discarding his Marxist path are distorting his truth.”

Meanwhile, MLA Prithviraj Rabha has chosen to remain silent on the controversy, refraining from commenting despite repeated queries.

The incident stems from the RSS Foundation Day programme held recently at Nehru Maidan, Tezpur, where journalists were barred from entry. During the event, Prithviraj Rabha took part in the RSS oath-taking ceremony and later recalled that his father had encouraged him to learn discipline from RSS drills during his school days under teacher Narendra Dev Shastri.

He said, “I remember studying at Tezpur Academy School where Narendra Dev Shastri, in whose name this stage is dedicated today, used to lead the RSS drills. My father, Bishnu Prasad Rabha, often told me to go and learn from them. I used to run from my home in Kalibari to watch their exercises.”

However, this remark has fuelled widespread public reaction. Many see it as an attempt to recast the image of Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha, a legendary artist and revolutionary who was once jailed for his strong opposition to the then ruling establishment.

For many in Assam, the episode has reopened a debate over how political legacies are being rewritten. As one observer noted, “When even Tezpur — the birthplace of Bishnu Rabha’s revolutionary art — forgets its ideological roots, what remains of that cultural conscience?”

Also Read: Did Bishnu Prasad Rabha Tell His Son to Join RSS?