NAGPUR: Condemning the brutal midnight crackdown on peaceful demonstrators gathered at Ramlila Grounds in New Delhi to participate in the fasting programme announced by Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev on June 4, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat said this was against democracy.
Addressing the concluding function of the month-long Third Year RSS Summer Training Camp on June 6, Shri Bhagwat said those people had gathered there to support a social cause. They were demanding end to corruption and bringing back the black money stashedaway in the Swiss banks. By launching a brutal assault on these peaceful protesters, the government demonstrated its ostrich-like attitude towards this issue of national importance. This was against the democratic principles and practices, Shri Bhagwat said.
Kanchi Kamkoti Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Jayendra Saraswati was specially present on the occasion to bless the swayamsevaks. Dr Ganga Raju, national vice-president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and an industrialist from Andhra Pradesh was the chief guest.
“The movement launched by Baba Ramdev was not targeted at any political party or group, but was against corruption and bringing back the huge amounts of black money stashed away in Swiss banks. The government, instead of finding out a proper and effective solution chose to crush the agitation by using brute force. This was not only unfortunate but also undemocratic. It also raised serious doubts about government’s sincerity and honesty to end corruption,” the Sarsanghachalak said.
Pledging RSS support to this movement, Shri Bhagwat said the RSS has been supporting such movements of social importance since its inception and will continue to do so in future. But the RSS did not start this movement, he clarified. “The political parties often try to portray these movements as inspired and started by the RSS. Whenever, they find their position threatened they raise the bogey of RSS out of political opportunism,” he stated.
Shri Bhagwat referred to a resolution passed at the just concluded Pratinidhi Sabha at Puttur in Karnataka which clearly offered support to the movements of Anna Hazare and similar such agitations aimed at eradicating corruption from national life. “So the swayamsevaks support the agitation of Baba Ramdev,” he said.
“Such agitations are not expected to find out a quick solution to the vexed problems like corruption, but they are leading to a right path. Both Shri Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev did not have any personal agenda in carrying out these movements. They are just voicing the concerns of 121 crore people of Bharat,” he said.
By disrupting the peaceful agitation of Baba Ramdev the government has snapped all the communication channels. Earlier, the government deputed four senior ministers to talk to Baba Ramdev. What prompts the same government to crack down so heavily and use the brute force to disrupt the agitation, Shri Bhagwat asked. The government had also agreed on the issued raised by Baba Ramdev. Only the difference was on finding out the ways to implement these policies to end corruption. What was the provocation for the government? The action on Baba Ramdev and his followers was not only unwarranted but also undemocratic and barbaric; Shri Bhagwat said condemning this action in the strongest possible words.
The Sarsanghachalak also raised the issue of National Advisory Committee (NAC) and the Bill drafted by it to curb communal violence in the country. He wondered who gave the authority to NAC for drafting such a Bill and asked whether the NAC had any sanction of the Consitution of India? “The proposed Bill was aimed at dividing the Hindu society and keeps the communal pot boiling. The Bill was against the interests of the Hindu society,” he said.
Shri Bhagwat made a significant observation when he said that such agitations may bring about a change in the system, but that again is not lasting because the society and every individual is not changed. They remain the same and thus the new set of laws and systems collapse after sometime. We have experienced this in the recent past, he said. Therefore, the RSS stresses on building an individual and social character by imbibing and inculcating moral values, intense love for the motherland, brotherhood and compassion for the society. “The Sangh is deeply involved in this exercise of man-making with good character and nationalistic fervour to safeguard the interests of the people and the country,” Shri Bhagwat said.
Kanchi Shankaracharya Swami Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal praised the work of RSS and recalled his association with the former RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Guruji. He hailed the RSS efforts to build cadres devoted to the cause of Hinduism. He said the need of value-based education was overlooked by the governments. “It is unfortunate that value-based education is not imparted in the schools,” he said. Appreciating the work of RSS the Kanchi seer said that only good people can serve the country better.
Dr Ganga Raju referred to conversion of Hindus to Christianity and increase in the population of Muslims. “This should be conceived as a threat to the Hindu society as a whole,” he said. He also recalled how the government wanted to take away Tirupati Devoasthanam land and hand it over to churches, and how the Hindus thwarted this attempt of the government.
Earlier, Shri Shashikant Dixit, Karyavah of the camp, gave the introductory remarks. Nagpur Mahanagar Sanghachalak Dr Dilip Gupta was seated on the dais. Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra State Assembly Shri Pandrung Fundkar, former MP Banwarilal Purohit, MLAs Sudhakar Deshmukh and Shri Vikas Kumbhare, Rashtra Sevika Samiti Pramukh Sanchalika Vandaniya Pramilatai Medhe, president of All India Kshtriya Yuva Parishad Shri Bhagwan Singh and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
