Now, RSS begins drive on what to eat, wear and how to celebrate
MORAL GUIDEBOOK Swayamsevaks to ‘educate’ heads of families about traditional values The RSS team enquired about our food habits, favourite TV channels and shows, how we celebrate birthdays and our preference of attire.
What to eat, what to wear, how to celebrate birthdays and how to conduct yourself publicly — advices on these are part of RSS’ family counselling programme, launched in April this year.
The pan-India campaign involves visiting people’s homes to “instil values and ethics” apart from advocating vegetarianism and promoting Indian attire. Named ‘kutumb prabodhan (family counselling)’, the campaign will continue until the 2019 general elections.
The move comes amid widespread outrage and anger over mob violence in the name of protecting cows, the animal considered holy by many Hindus.
RSS insiders said senior swayamsevaks, joined by a couple of their subordinates and a Rashtra Sevika Sangh (RSS’ women’s wing) worker, visit families and “educate” them about the benefits of vegetarianism and how to avoid being influenced by the western culture.
One such group, led by RSS leader Ashok Bhatt, the Vidarbha convener of the programme, visited the family of Suresh Deshpande in Nagpur’s Sadar locality last week.
The team advised the family’s female members to wear sarees and the male to wear kurta-pyjamas during festivals, and said that celebrating birthdays by blowing candles and cutting cakes was not part of the Indian culture.
The Deshpandes, a family of four, were told about traditional Hindu practices such as chanting mantras before meals, eating together at least once a week, avoid TV during meal time, which they should instead use to bond with each other.
During their “family time”, the members were told, they should avoid discussing politics and cricket. Also, every person must respect women, fight casteism, and inculcate the habit of reading good books that feed one’s intellect. The Deshpandes were told to take up social work.
“The RSS team enquired about our food habits, favourite TV channels and shows, how we celebrate birthday and our preference of attire,” said Suresh, who considers the interaction to be “a good concept”.
Bhatt said they have been getting a good response.
Atul Pingle, a senior RSS leader, said such an initiative was the need of the hour when people were becoming more materialistic and self-centred.
“We will also visit the families of minorities,” he said, adding the campaign would help restore harmony, friendship and community bond among the people.
The campaign is a major initiative of the RSS, the ideological mentor of the ruling BJP, and comes after its pet project of “one temple, one crematorium and one well for all in each village” was launched last year on Babasaheb Ambedkar’s 125th birth anniversary.