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Opposing BJP not akin to opposition of Hindus: RSS leader
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi said on Sunday that opposing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not amount to opposing Hindus.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi said on Sunday that opposing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not amount to opposing Hindus.
Joshi, who was addressing the two-day conclave on “Vishwaguru Bharat, an RSS perspective” at Dona Paula in Goa, also referred to ‘Hindutva’ as representing the soul of India, which, if removed, would only leave the country as a lifeless body.
“We should not consider opposition to BJP as opposition to Hindus. It is a political fight that will continue. That should not be linked with Hindus,” he said responding to a question on “why Hindus are becoming the enemy of their own community?”.
Asked if the RSS was ‘communal’, Joshi said it would depend on how one defines the term.
“Let them define the word communal. A community is about a group which worships only one God, has only one holy book. A Hindu can never be communal. If a situation arises, where we have to build one temple, we will cease to be Hindus,” he said.
Instead, he added, we should gather the habit of worshipping Mother India, irrespective of religious identities.
“If Hindutva is removed, only a piece of land will remain. It’s Hindutva that makes this (country) a Hindu rashtra. People are saying that one day, it (India) will be a Hindu rashtra, I say we are already a Hindu rashtra, The Sangh is there to strengthen it everyday,” he said, adding that Hindutva was a “way of life”.
While speaking on the current political climate and ongoing nationwide protests against the amended citizenship law, proposed National Register of Citizens and National Population Register, Joshi said it wasn’t enough if one stressed on the rights guaranteed in the constitution, but the responsibilities enlisted in the constitution were equally important.
“These days there is some sort of awakening towards reading of the constitution with citizens across the country being taught the book. This won’t achieve the full result. Citizens also have responsibility… the country will go ahead only if these two are followed together. A government’s rights’ are made complete by the responsibilities shown by their citizens.”
On a question about the Sangh’s views on equal opportunities for women, Joshi said the Sangh does not ‘talk of equality of women’ but rather believes that each and every section of the society has a significant role to play.
“We do not talk of equality of women here. We believe everyone has a role, children have a role, youth have a role, Pratibhashali (the talented) have a role, and women have a role. The responsibility of being a mother is very huge and a father cannot fulfil that role. Bringing a generation is a huge task and only a woman centred family can build a good ideal,” he replied.
