Nagpur:
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said the mutual understanding displayed by the political class following the Pahalgam terror attack and action taken by India later should continue and become a permanent feature.
After the April 22 massacre of tourists in Pahalgam, people were angry and wanted the culprits to be punished and the action followed, he said in an indirect reference to Operation Sindoor which saw Indian armed forces target terror hubs in Pakistan and PoK, and subsequent bombing of airbases in the neighbouring country in retaliatory strikes.
The society also gave a message of unity, Mr Bhagwat noted, addressing the concluding event of the Karyakarta Vikas Varg for Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) volunteers in Nagpur.
Coming out strongly against religious conversion using force and pressure, the RSS leader said, “Conversion is violence. We are not against it when done by choice. But luring, forcing and pressurising is something we are against. By telling people that their ancestors were wrong, it is an insult of them. We are against such practices.”
“We are with you (in fight against conversion),” Mr Bhagwat said, referring to tribal leader and former Union minister Arvind Netam, who was the chief guest at the event.
Once again referring to the May 7-10 India-Pakistan military conflict, he emphasised everyone saw the grit of the country’s decision-makers in the action taken after the Pahalgam terror attack.
“Action was taken after the heinous terror attack in Pahalgam. The valour of our Army shone once again in it. The firmness of the administration was also seen. The political class also showed mutual understanding. The society gave the message of unity. This should continue and become a permanent feature,” he averred.
India should be self-dependent in matters of security, the RSS chief insisted.
Without naming Pakistan, Mr Bhagwat said, “Those who can’t win a direct fight with India want to bleed our country by the policy of a thousand cuts and waging a proxy war.”
During World War II, Hitler bombarded London for nearly a month, expecting Britain to surrender. In response, Prime Minister Winston Churchill addressed the nation and later told Parliament the British would fight on the “seas and on the beaches”.
Referring to this episode, Mr Bhagwat remarked that Churchill had said society was the true lion and he merely roared on its behalf.
The RSS leader observed that one person’s gain can sometimes mean another’s loss, and a lack of understanding between individuals may lead to dissatisfaction.
In the national interest, no group or class should come into conflict with another. Acting impulsively, engaging in unnecessary arguments, or taking the law into one’s own hands was not in the country’s interest, he stressed.
He reflected on the time when India was not independent, saying (British) rulers then encouraged divisions and supported disruptive elements, forcing ordinary people to take up the fight.
Today, however, he said, the government functions under the Constitution.
Mr Bhagwat warned against the use of abusive language and overreactions, stating some individuals deliver provocative speeches for personal gain.
“Our roots lie in unity, not in division,” he said, adding that while people may speak different languages and follow different customs, unity stands above all differences.
Mr Bhagwat argued that the idea of ethnic differences among Indians was a misconception fostered by British colonial rule.
Tribal leader Netam, who served in the cabinets of former prime ministers Indira Gandhi and PV Narasimha Rao, was the chief guest at the concluding ceremony of the RSS volunteer training camp.
The 25-day training camp, Karyakarta Vikas Varg Dwitiya, in which 840 volunteers from across the country participated, began on May 12 at Dr Hedgewar Smriti Mandir located in Reshimbag area of Nagpur.
Mr Netam, who hails from Chhattisgarh, said no state government has so far taken the issue of religious conversions seriously.
“I think RSS is the only institution which can help us in this area,” he said.
The RSS should pressure the central government to come out with an action plan after Maoism ends to ensure the menace does not raise its head again, the former Congress minister stated.
Mr Netam said no government implemented the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 and added the central government is mum and even helping industrialists.
The PESA Act aims to ensure self-governance in tribal areas through Gram Sabhas, empowering them to manage resources and make decisions related to their communities.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
