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Conversions and migration causes of population imbalance: RSS’ Hosabale
Religious conversion and migration from Bangladesh are causing “population imbalance”, said RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Wednesday, and called for strict implementation of anti-conversion laws.
Religious conversion and migration from Bangladesh are causing “population imbalance”, said Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Wednesday, and called for strict implementation of anti-conversion laws.
Talking to reporters on the conclusion of four-day national executive (Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal) meeting of RSS in Prayagraj, Hosabale alleged that a conspiracy for religious conversion is going on in many parts of the country, adding that the organisation is trying to create awareness on the subject.
As a result, there has been a favourable outcome of “ghar wapsi”, he added. The RSS use the phrase “ghar wapsi” as its effort to bring back to the Hindu fold people it says converted to faiths like Islam and Christianity.
He said the “existing laws to prevent religious conversion need to be implemented strictly”.
Some states, including Uttar Pradesh, ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have brought in laws that prohibit conversion by force or allurement, particularly through marriage.
RSS sarsanghchalak (chief) Mohan Bhagwat chaired the four-day annual meeting held at Vatsalya Institute campus in Gauhania.
Claiming that population of Hindus was on a decline due to conversion, Hosabale termed infiltration as the second biggest cause of “population imbalance”, which, he said, was the reason for India’s partition in 1947.
“Population imbalance caused by infiltration from Bangladesh has been seen in districts of north Bihar, including Purnia and Katihar, and in other states,” he said. “Therefore, we have resolved that there is a need for this subject to be considered holistically and in unity so that a uniform national population policy be framed and made applicable on all.”
In his speech on the occasion of Vijaya Dashami in Nagpur, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat had also spoken about population imbalance, social harmony and education in mother tongue.
Hosabale further said that those who changed their religion should not get the benefit of reservation. He referred to the committee formed under former Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan to examine whether communities that adopted other religions should get the Scheduled Caste status.
The RSS meeting also discussed increasing participation of women in social activities of the Hindu community, he said. “Women are entering every sector. Their role in decision making in social work must also increase.”
He claimed that a sense of “I am also a Hindu” has developed due to public awareness initiatives of RSS among the people of the tribal community in the northeastern states. “Now these people also want to join the Sangh,” he said.
Owing to emphasis on population control over the last 40-50 years, the average population of each family has come down from 3.4 to 1.9, he said, adding that a time will come in India when the youth population will decrease, which is worrying.
He further said that the organisation will accelerate its work ahead of the centenary year (2025), adding that by the end of 2024, RSS plans to have at least one shakha in each division of the country.
Hosabale said the number of RSS shakhas has gone up from 54,382 to 61,045 in one year. Over 130,000 people have joined the Sangh through the “Join RSS” platform launched in 2010-11, he added.
(With PTI inputs)
