“Study and understand the concepts and ideas of each and every great son of Bharatmata and translate those ideas into action for national reconstruction,” said RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat while releasing four books on Dr BR Ambedkar in Delhi on August 13. The books have been edited by noted scholar, economist, former member of the Planning Commission and former Vice-Chancellor of Pune University Dr Narendra Jadhav. The books, Atmakatha Evam Jansamwad; Samajik Vichar Evam Darshan; Arthik Vichar Evam Darshan and Rajneeti, Dharma aur Samvidhan Vichar, contain Dr Ambedkar’s thoughts, speeches and views on various issues. The function was attended by eminent intellectuals, authors, thinkers, journalists and personalities from different walks of life. The books have been published by Prabhat Prakashan New Delhi.
The Sarsanghachalak expressed concern over the division of even the national heroes into various narrow compartments and confining them to particular communities only thus blocking their universal thoughts on national reconstruction. “They were born in this holy land and as such they belong to each and everyone,” he said calling for a radical change in the approach towards the great personalities. Why one should oppose the coming together of two different thought processes in the national interest, he asked. He said Dr Ambedkar presented an example for the countrymen to follow and implement for development of the nation. “His personality, dedication, selfless attitude and urge to redress people grievances inspire us to work for the society,” he said.
Recalling an old association of Dr Ambedkar with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Shri Bhagwat said when Dr Ambedkar visited a training camp of RSS in 1939 in Pune in which the RSS founder Dr Hedgewar had arranged his lecture on Dalit problems and their emancipation. “We have to move forward taking the entire society along and by removing disparity and discrimination of every kind from the society. For this, we need to understand the thoughts of Dr Ambedkar. We need to bring in harmony in political, social and economic fields and for that we need to develop a style of meaningful dialogue in spite of our differences,” he said.
Narrating an incident, Shri Bhagwat said a senior politician was travelling with him to Nagpur. When Shri Bhagwat invited him to visit the RSS office, the leader said “there will be an earthquake if I do so and will be thrown out of my party.” Shri Bhagwat told him that since “I have invited you, but I will not be thrown out of my organisation.” One should bear in mind that “outsiders won over our country not due to their strength but because of differences amongst us. We served our nation to them on a silver platter. If we don’t improve ourselves, the Constitution alone cannot save us or the nation,” Shri Bahgwat said.
Editor and compiler of the books Dr Narendra Jadhav said he was not associated with any political party or ideology, but he was an Ambedkarite and would remain so. Dr Ambedkar has been a source of inspiration for him. He said the people of Bharat have not understood Dr Ambedkar properly. He was not the leader of Dalits only, but represented the society of Bharat as a whole. He spent his life in creating a new awareness in Bharat. He was the first trained economist of Bharat. Dr Jadhav admitted that some of his friends had taken objection to Shri Bhagwat releasing the books, they criticised him on social media too. Some of them have even predicted that he would join the BJP. n
