Vision of Samajik Samarasata developed by Thengadiji is more relevant today: Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat

The vision for social harmony (SamajikSamarasata) nursed and developed by the late DattopantThengadi is still relevant today and we need to work for building a harmonious society by understanding and applying that vision in our own life, RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohanrao Bhagwat made a fervent appeal on Thursday. He was delivering a Dattopant Thengadi Birth Centenary Memorial Lecture on “Social Harmony as envisioned by Thengadiji” at Pune. The lecture was organized by Dattopant Thengadi Birth Centenary Celebration Committee. Thengadi, a world-class thinker known as “Shram Maharshi” for his genuine contribution in building a nationalist labour movement – the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) – had breathed his last on October 14 at Pune. The lecture was organized coinciding that anniversary also.

In his nearly an hour-long enlightening lecture, Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat said that Thengadiji devoted his entire life for the eradication of discrimination and inequality from the society. He was well-read and would present his views without considering ‘political benefit’.

Thengadiji was very close to first three RSS Sarsanghchalaks – Dr Hedgewar, Sri Guruji and Sri Balasaheb Deoras – who devoted their lives for achieving Hindu unity which they considered a positive way of eliminating inequality and untouchability, Shri Mohan Bhagwat said, adding that Thengadiji too believed that unification of Hindus and eradication of discrimination are two sides of the same coin.

He was also very close to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and understood his great personality from the core. The book he penned some days before leaving this mortal world was on the life of Dr Ambedkar and Social Harmony which was released in Pune after his death, Bhagwat reminded the audience. That is why his death anniversary is observed as “Samajik Samarasata Diwas” today, he added.

The Sarsanghchalak further said that Thengadiji adopted the age-old, time tested vision of harmony in vogue since the ancient times which continued like a stream of the Ganges and his association with the RSS and Dr Ambedkar helped him understand that vision in a better way.

He gave us this philosophy and vision of social harmony and probably, he was the last of the stalwarts to do this, Bhagwat commented.

Comparing the efforts of Dr Ambedkar and the RSS, Thengdiji used to say that though they appear to be different because their starting points are so, their mission is one that is to achieve social harmony and equality, Bhagwat said. By adopting Buddhism, Dr Ambedkar saved his people from the influence of the anti-national elements.

Achieving social harmony was not the ‘policy’ of the late Thengdiji, it was his life mission. He had a very honest vision and it was his life’s faith. Like Dr Hedgewar and Dr Ambedkar he also believed firmly that dharma is not about discrimination. BalasahebDevras too had loudly proclaimed at Pune during his famous lecture on Social Harmony that “if untouchability was not wrong then nothing is wrong in this world”, Shri Mohan Bhagwat reminded. This was set as a condition precedent for achieving the target and accomplishing the mission of “Samajik Samarasata”, the Sarsanghchalak said emphasising that this is also a condition precedent for the progress of the country. Thengadiji believed that all kinds of inequality and discrimination must be eliminated from the society because this is our mission and faith. With this firm conviction he spoke very plainly and honestly and not as a ‘policy’ some leaders practice today, Bhagwat stressed.

He said the late Thengadiji also believed in what Dr Ambedkar said about Samarasata that political and economic liberty would be in vain in the absence of social harmony and equality. For this fraternity is necessary and the three principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity were included in our Constitution which Dr. Ambedkar took from the Buddha’s philosophy and not from the French Revolution as propagated, Bhagwat explained quoting Dr. Ambedkar.

He said that Dr. Ambedkar believed that fraternity is Dharma. There are ‘Shashwat Dharma’ and ‘Achar Dharma’. The ‘Achar Dharma’ changes according to the changing situation but the values and ethos that form the ‘Shashwat Dharma’ remain unchanged. And the ‘Shashwat Dharma’ is ‘Bandhubhav’. The Sangh describes this ‘Shashwat Dharma’ as ‘SamajikSamrasata’ he said adding that the essence of both is same.

SamajikSamrasata is a matter of living. We need to imbibe this principle in our daily life and behaviour starting from the self, our families and surrounding. We have to remove differences from the entire society and lead by our behaviour, Dr. Bhagwat said adding that equality sans samrasata is not possible.

Those who are at the upper strata of the society need to bend a little and offer a helping hand to those at the lower strata. Those at the lower strata need to raise their hands so that they could be lifted to equal levels is the only way of eradicating discriminations and inequalities of all kinds, Sarsanghchalak Bhagwat stressed adding that this is the philosophy of Thengdiji’s concept of “SamajikSamrasata”.

This vision and philosophy of Thengadiji is more relevant today; we have to work relentlessly with courage and conviction, patience and faith and not as a ‘policy’, Bhagwat urged the people adding that this is all the more necessary in times when the anti-national elements are hell-bent on breaking the society and weakening the nation today.

We will create a united and strong society and take this nation to the height of glory. In light of our behaviour, we will become the torch-bearers of social harmony with the language of love and compassion to achieve success in our mission. God supports those who stand for truth, he said.

Swami GivinddevGirijiMaharas made the introductory remarks in what he called as “Mangalacharan” detailing his experiences of his association with late Sri Thengadiji.

Describing Thengadiji as the continuation of the ancient tradition of the Rishis, the Swami said that he was greatly influenced by Sri Golwalkar Guruji and Dattopant Thengadiji.

There is an inherent oneness in our society and awakening that oneness through our behaviour is achieving ‘samarasata’ as envisaged by the late Thengadi, he said.

(NewsBharati)