VIEW FROM THE RIGHT

BHAGWAT INTERVIEW

ORGANISER AND PANCHJANYA have carried an interview with RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat, his second in the last 18 months. Like in the interview these two weeklies had published before the 2015 Bihar elections, the present one too has Bhagwat expressing his views on “social equality”. “The organisation of Hindu society is impossible without samrasata (social harmony),” he says, emphasising that a “non-discriminatory approach is mandatory for unifying the Hindu society and this has been there in the RSS since its inception”.

Bhagwat underlines the 1974 address of then-rss chief Balasaheb Deoras, in which he had rejected untouchability. He admits that people often “believed” the RSS supports “caste system or caste-based discrimination”, but Deoras’s address ended this perception. Bhagwat advocates an overall change in social behaviour to end discrimination, including “proverbs” that hurt “victims of discrimination”. Supporting “inter-caste marriages”, he says that “we insist that swayamsevaks should stand in favour of such reformative measures”.

“If you take a survey, you will find more swayamsevaks with inter-caste marriages than anybody else,” he claims. “It is necessary that swayamsevaks take a lead role while keeping the social unity, integrity and harmony in mind to sincerely and fearlessly carry out that role,” he says, underlining that discrimination has continued because “we have been practising certain things for more than two thousand years, in which adharma is followed in the name of dharma”.

REPORTING RSS MEET

AN ARTICLE IN Organiser, ‘Widening Horizons’, reported on the recently concluded Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), the apex decision and policymaking body of RSS. While Mohan Bhagwat and RSS Sarkaryavah Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi jointly inaugurated the three-day ABPS, Sahsarkaryavah V. Bhagaiah provided details about the increase of RSS shakhas in the country. “Last year, one lakh youth participated in the Prathmik Shiksha Varg,” the article reported, underlining that “17,500 trainees participated in the 20-day training camps held throughout the country”. The article reveals that “57,233 shakhas, 14,896 weekly milans and 8,226 monthly mandalis are being held throughout the country”. The ABPS also paid homage to “all the distinguished persons” who died recently including “K. Suryanarayana Rao, a guiding force of RSS, Cho Ramasamy, editor of Tamil weekly, Tughlaq, Selvi J. Jayalalithaa, chief minister of Tamil Nadu”. The ABPS also passed “a resolution over growing jihadi activities in West Bengal” and “expressed its grave concerns” over the “encouragement to anti-national elements” by the state government.

The article claimed that “fatwas inciting violence” are being issued by “fundamentalist maulvis”. “Smuggling of fake currency and cow progeny along with illegal migration are being perpetually encouraged by these very elements,” it said. The ABPS also urged the Union government to take firm action against these “anti-national jihadi elements” in the interest of national security.

IN HEDGEWAR ’ S PATH

THE EDITORIAL OF Panchjanya quotes the 1974 address of former RSS chief Balasaheb Deoras that if “untouchability is not wrong, then nothing is wrong”. When similar statements were given by the first RSS sarsanghchalak, K.B. Hedgewar, such thoughts found no resonance. Following Hedgewar’s path, the RSS has today become “the world’s largest organisation”, which has “immense social acceptance”. “From Mahatma Gandhi to B.R. Ambedkar”, many were “witness” to the RSS’S work and were “inspired” by it. Hedgewar “conceived of Hindu youths who were beyond the discrimination of caste”. His work was carried forward by other sarsanghchalaks. “Note the marvelous cycle created by God,” the editorial says, adding “sarsanghchalaks change, but the vision moves forward”. After every cycle, the Sangh’s acceptance in society gets enhanced, the editorial claims.

Compiled by Ashutosh Bhardwaj