RASHTRIYA Swayamsevak Sangh Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat attributed the failure to protect and secure our international borders to the absence of a “Vision Document”, and blamed squarely the government of Independent India to draft any such document. “Our political leaders only looked to the next elections and did not bother to spell clearly what was their vision of independent India”, Shri Bhagwat said.
Shri Bhagwat was speaking to packed audience at Vasantrao Deshpande Auditorium on June 23 after releasing a book, Mission Kashmir, written by senior journalist and Delhi-based representative of Tarun Bharat daily, Shri Ravindra Dani.
Former Governor of Jammu & Kashmir and Assam Lt. Gen (Retd) Shri SK Sinha, BJP national president Shri Nitin Gadkari, president of Narkesari Prakashan Ltd Dr Vilas Dangre, author Shri Ravindra Dani and Shri Ulhas Latkar of Ameya Publication, Pune, shared the dais.
The RSS Sarsanghachalak said after Independence we failed to give priority to drafting policies which would make India a strong, vibrant and prosperous country in the world. We did not make efforts to strengthen our border security, reclaim the lost territories and create a will to win amongst the common people. Had we done this immediately after independence there would not have arisen problems we face today in Kashmir or elsewhere along the border regions of India, he added.
Shri Bhagwat further lamented that the governments in Independent India never gave a serious thought to preparing “vision document”. “Countries like Bangladesh or China or USA revise their policies at an interval of 10 years and prepare a vision document for the next three decades. They have a definite policy to expand their territories and borders. But in India we are struggling only to protect our borders in Kashmir, we are ignorant about Chinese intrusions in the North-Eastern region, he said. Bangladesh has been eyeing land in Assam and China has even laid claims on Arunachal Pradesh but we talk of making the LoC as international border between India and Pakistan, he lamented.
“The world listens to the voice of the strong and it is high time that we as a nation concentrate on our sovereignty and gaining strength”, the RSS chief strongly argued.
Referring to the suggestions by politicians to have talks with the terrorists and bring them in to the national mainstream, Shri Bhagwat caustically commented that we try to bring those anti-national elements into the mainstream but never bother to create conducive atmosphere for the safe return of those who were made refugees in their own land due to terrorist activities. This must stop, he said. He blamed the Central Government for failure to make the situation conducive for the return of the lakhs of Kashmiri Pandits who are living a refugee life in camps since last 20 years.
“Nowhere in the world one can find that large number of people is forced to live as refugees in its own land in very pitiable conditions in refugee camps. The Government of India is now asking them to return to their own homes but the same government is mum on providing them security and safety ensuring freedom to practice their religion and other activities? How will they return to their homes in the Kashmir Valley?” he asked. The Government should ensure that the conditions in the Valley are conducive for their safe return, he said.
Pakistan failed to access Kashmir in war with India; it had not succeeded in its mission by proxy war and now it is trying to achieve its goal by fomenting and injecting anti-India mass movement in Kashmir, warned Lt Gen (retd) S K Sinha.
Sinha, who served the Indian Army since 1947 and has spent over two decades in J&K as army officer and later as Governor, gave a hair-raising account of how he was involved in Kashmir in 1947-48 in an attack with the Pak sponsored Kabailies. He said that the way to frustrate the plans of Pakistan was to encourage the feeling of Kashmiriyat among the Kashmiri people and win over their intellect and hearts.
Lt. Gen. Sinha explained in details how India lost three golden moments to reclaim the PoK in the past. But he confidently said that even today 61 per cent of Kashmiri people are in favour of India and they should be given the support and strength, he said.
BJP president Nitin Gadkari said that Kashmir issue was allowed to get complicated as the government took all decisions under pressure from the US. We must rise above the vote bank politics and narrow political gains to resolve all such issues related to our national security and integrity, he said.
Publisher Ulhas Latkar of Ameya Prakashan made introductory remarks while author Ravindra Dani also spoke on the book. Dr Awatar Krishna Ganju, who chaired the programme, stressed for taking immediate steps to save the Kashmiri Pandits from extinction. He narrated the ‘first hand’ account of the plight of the Pandits in Kashmir Valley.
Renuka Deshkar compered the proceedings of the programme. Prominent amongst those present on the occasion were M G alias Baburaoji Vaidya, Manoharrao Shende, Prabhakarrao Mundley, Justice Ratnaparkhi, former MP Banwarilal Purohit, Kirit Sommaiyya, former DCP Baba-saheb Kangale and others.
