RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat addresses the concluding function of the Officers Training Camp, at Nagpur on Thursday. (Image: PTI)
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said foreign forces were seeking to divide India and wanted us to fight among ourselves but the people must refrain from falling into that trap
Foreign forces are seeking to divide us and want us to fight but we should not let them win, said RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. He said Islam and its worship were safe in ‘Bharat’, while addressing an annual training programme in Nagpur on Thursday.
Bhagwat said Islam invaded many countries – from Spain to Mongolia – but had to retreat as the people in these countries woke up. In ‘Bharat’, however, Islam and its worship were safe and secure. But, he said, people need to realise that they have to amalgamate with Indian culture and forget about “foreign connections” in the interest of the country.
Talking about “emotional integration” as explained in the Constitution, he said, “Aisa kyun lagta hai ki inke saath milke rahenge toh ye log toh hum logon ko kha lenge (why do some of us think that if we start staying together, you will be eaten up)? No, this will never happen. ‘Bharat’ never does that. Communities like Jews or Parsis also took shelter in ‘Bharat’ and this country kept them safe. But we all are from this country, why this hesitation? We all have to give up small identity issues and be seen as Indian only.”
The RSS chief spoke about “unnecessary conflicts” taking place across states while ‘Bharat’ (India) was otherwise surging ahead in terms of policies and international relations.
“Samajhdari pakki hoti toh alag dikhte hain iss vichar se desh nahin toot ta humara (Had there been prudence and better understanding, we would have been together). Our country would not have broken like this,” he said.
He added: “We look different and that is why we need different countries – this was our thought process and that is why our country had to witness Partition. Even if the methods of worship are different, our culture and ancestors are the same. We belong to our motherland ‘Bharat’.”
‘Injustice’ over caste
Bhagwat said caste discrimination was prevalent in the country and there was “injustice” over caste. There should not be any denial about its existence, he said. “It was there. Injustice happened. We should admit it and we should take steps to rectify all those mistakes. We were divided over all these issues and, that is why, invaders came crossing the Hindu Kush. But we still had the strength to chase them away after a period of time,” he said.
“The outsiders left decades ago. The ones who stayed are our people, they are insiders. Why are we fighting with each other then? Why are we breaking each other’s heads over trivial matters? We have to stay together and stay strong. There are foreign forces that want us to fight. We should not let them win and refrain from falling into their trap. We have to stop asking each other who has done what. Peace cannot be traded like this. We have to come together and bring peace,” he added.