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Understand definition of Sanatana Dharma before making statements, says RSS leader Vaidya
Manmohan Vaidya of RSS said those calling for the eradication of Sanatana Dharma should understand its meaning. He dismissed DMK leaders' comments as political, and emphasized the importance of the name Bharat. He also spoke about the need to address social disparities and reservations based on the Constitution.
Manmohan Vaidya, joint general secretary, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) said those talking about eradicating Sanatana Dharma must first understand the definition of the terms before making such statements.
Vaidya’s remarks on Saturday, during the three-day deliberations of RSS and its 36 affiliated organisations in Pune, came days after Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leaders Udhayanidhi Stalin and A Raja had claimed that Sanatana Dharma had sown divisions in society and must be eradicated on the lines of diseases like dengue, malaria and coronavirus.
“Some people are talking about finishing Sanatana Dharma, but first they should know the real meaning of these words before making disparaging statements. The meaning of Sanatana is eternal, which is the base of India’s spiritual lifestyle and is internally holistic. Because of this, the personality of India has got shape,” the senior RSS functionary claimed.
Brushing aside the comments made by the DMK leaders as “political”, he said that several people through the course of history have tried to finish off Sanatana Dharma but failed.
“Lord Krishna had said that whenever there will be trouble for ‘dharma’, he will come to reinforce it. The RSS is following the same path,” Vaidya said.
On the India versus Bharat debate, Vaidya said that the name Bharat has a “civilisational value”.
“As there is no other country which has two names, Bharat should be called Bharat,” he claimed.
On the issue of reservation, he said that the society had deprived those from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes communities in terms of education and respect. Hence, they should be given reservation based on the Constitution. He said efforts should be made to end social disparity.
On reservations sought by various communities, Vaidya said that as these demands are political, there was no discussion on it during the meeting.
