The Vijayadashami address by RSS Sarsanghchalak holds a special significance for swayamsevaks as it was founded on this very day in 1925. For them, this lecture is a guideline for the year ahead since that day. Since last few years, it has become a national event as the media and political pundits see it as if reading the tea leaves to understand the future strategies of RSS better.
This is the reason why the tone and the tenor of the lectures of the current Sarsanghchalak on Vijayadashami is more for the people at large and no more, only a lecture for the swayamsevaks.
I find the lecture this year an assertive exercise in setting the Hindutva agenda firmly without any ambiguity. It also sets a path for the swayamsevaks for the coming three years when RSS completes its 100 years. Dr Mohan Bhagwat ji’s speech covers a large gamut of issues.
To summarise his observations:
1) He talked about an unstoppable national renaissance for which major obstacles are conservatism and negative narratives to divide society.
2) Women need to be empowered so they can be equal partners in the renaissance of this nation. The Bharatiya approach to empowering women neither deifies women nor treats them as servants but gives them a position of equality. Feminists influenced by the West, too, are slowly understanding this.
3) He presents a holistic view of development in line with integral human philosophy where Aatmanirbharta can’t be achieved only through Government efforts but the involvement of the society and the spirit of cooperation between different industries and people. It also means a physically healthy society that can be created more by preventive healthcare, and not palliative curative healthcare. Yoga and Ayurveda. A happy family life is a cornerstone of a happy and mentally healthy nation. Dignity of labour is an important element in gainful employment.
4) All huge transformations in a nation happen only on the back of social awakening. The spirit of selfhood has to be awakened. In this NEP can play a major role. It can play a major role in changing the thinking of young minds, from rat race to fulfilling life. Education in the mother tongue will open up new avenues for rural and remote areas. Patriotism, love for one’s motherland are the basis of our nationhood and a necessary condition of all-round growth.
5) For all this to happen we need a strong population policy. Demography can change geography. Unless there is population balance, the economic and social development we are talking about will have no meaning. “Critics of RSS may not use the terms Hindu or Hindutva. Words can differ but these are positions that cannot be compromised. To quote the Sarsanghchalak, the concept of Hindu Rashtra is being taken seriously. Many people agree with the concept but are opposed to the word ‘Hindu’ and they prefer to use other words. We don’t have any issue with that. For the clarity of concept – we will keep emphasising the word Hindu for ourselves.”
As anyone can see, this lecture is a positive statement of our roadmap to be a self-reliant proud nation. There can be no quarrel with the idea of Aatmanirbhar Bharat that is possible only with a strong economy and strong society made up of healthy citizens. New Education Policy and a decentralised approach to economic development are also understood well that can empower citizens to lead a productive happy life. Nor is there any doubt that without women’s participation as equals and complimentary in this process of national reconstruction will not give desired results. You cannot have a developed and healthy nation without the building bloc of a happy family that will lead to a healthy society and hence the nation.
RSS working for the benefit of the entire world: Santosh Yadav
Renowned mountaineer Santosh Yadav was the chief guest at the RSS Vijayadashmi festival in Nagpur. She was the first woman to be invited at the Vijayadashmi celebrations in Nagpur as the chief guest.
Welcoming the chief guest, RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat said, “After worshipping the Shakti (Mother-Goddess) for nine nights (Navratri), on the tenth day – Ashwin Shukla Dashmi – that dawns with victory, we have assembled here to celebrate the Vijayadashami. The manifestation of all material and ethereal power is the Mother Goddess, she enables all resolve and grants us success. The Mother Goddess manifesting herself as Shakti is the basis of success of all noble and pure resolutions and is imperative in the establishment of purity and peace everywhere. Coincidentally the delightful and honourable presence of today’s chief guest, Shrimati Santosh Yadav represents Shakti and sentience. Twice, she has climbed the great heights of Gauri Shankar.”
Smt Santosh Yadav, while speaking on the occasion, said, “The Sangh swayamsevak are working for the benefit of all, for the benefit of the entire world. I hope your work grows.” “Our Sanatana Dharma and Sanskriti teach us to have a balance of all the pancha tattva (five elements). We need to be healthy and that will enable us to pursue good things for the benefit of all,” she added. “People used to ask me,” Are you a Sanghi? At that time, I didn’t know about the Sangh. It is my ‘prarabdha’ that I am today here with you,” she said. Santosh Yadav has been a mountaineer who made a world record, by becoming the first woman in the world to scale Mount Everest twice. During her Everest Mission in 1992, she saved the life of another climber, Mohan Singh, by sharing oxygen with him. Santosh Yadav was awarded the National Adventure Award 1994 and Padma Shri in 2000. — Organiser Bureau
But these are all physical and intellectual building blocks, the praan (spark of life) or chiti of our nation is her Hindu way of life, its inclusive vision that celebrates its diversity. Nurturing this spark of life makes Bharat what it is, an unstoppable continuously flowing civilisation with a distinct character that unifies us all. That is Hindutva, the essence of Hindu Dharma, our Hinduness.
Therefore, this must be nurtured, that is the message. However, there are three issues that Mohan ji flags. One is to be progressive, give up on dogmas and not be conservative. Reform, evolve and move with the times. This is the message to all the religions, sects and people living in Bharat. We need not stick to our past dogmas unless they help us move ahead and do not pull us back.
Second, that this march is being blocked by the Left and secular lobbies who are trying hard to set the negative narrative of hate and division. Generally, Sarsanghchalak is diplomatic. But this time he has been blunt and called out the hate mongers. Defaming Hindutva, frightening people to keep them away from RSS has been a favourite tool of these lobbies. His efforts to reach out to the sections of society who have doubts about RSS are being criticised without any rhyme or reason.
In a democracy, conversations are the only way to sort out differences. He criticised the violence against Hindus. We have seen this happening from 2014. Stray stories are presented and magnified in such a way as if India was crime free and a peaceful country that had no communal riots. Beginning with fake stories of rape of nuns and attacks on churches, the opponents went on to foment hate by highlighting a few lynching cases but never talked about cow smugglers killing cow protectors in much larger numbers. Nor did they ever mention the hate crimes against Hindus where Hindu activists lost lives in hundreds in the same period.
Demonisation of Narendra Modi ji began since 2002 and it peaked before 2014 and never stopped after that. The branding of RSS as fascist with fakes stories of Saffron terror and Hindu terror were planted in 2008 onwards. Who can forget the release of the book “RSS Ki Saazish” (RSS Conspiracy) to put the blame of 26/11 on RSS and letting Pakistan off the hook? Fomenting Hindu-Muslim divide even on the issues that had nothing to do with Indian Muslims like in the case of CAA that led to riots in Delhi, or using an economic issue like Farmers Bills to create riots on January 26th, creating an artificial narrative of Muslim oppression in the name of ban on hijab which was actually an issue of uniform in a school are all signs of how the narrative of hate-mongering and fear is being created.
To quote Dr Bhagwat’s words, “Scare-mongering is done among so-called minorities that there is a danger to them because of us or organised Hindus. This has not happened in the past, nor will it happen in future. This is neither the nature of Sangh nor of the Hindus, history bears this out. Self-defence and defence of our own becomes a duty for everyone against those who spread hatred, commit injustice, atrocity, engage in acts of hooliganism and enmity towards society. ‘Neither threatens nor gets threatened’, this kind of Hindu society is a need of the present times. This is not anti-anybody. The Sangh has a steely resolve to stand on the side of brotherhood, amity and peace.”
Mohan ji rightly pointed out the case of various countries of the world who lost their geographies because of demographics. Bharat, of course, knows it well after losing 1/3rd of the land due to religious demographics. Despite all the assurances, minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh are suffering hugely. Most have either converted, or killed or escaped to Bharat
One must congratulate the Sarsanghchalak for bringing up the issue of population control and need for a population policy about which no politician is willing to speak since the infamous Emergency. But, how can we develop as a nation until we name the elephant in the room? No nation can provide basic amenities to all its citizens if it is going to produce an Australia every year. Nor can we afford population imbalance having suffered the most due to this population imbalance. Mohan ji rightly pointed out the case of various countries of the world who lost their geographies because of demographics. Bharat, of course, knows it well after losing 1/3rd of the land due to religious demographics. Despite all the assurances, minorities in Pakistan and Bangladesh are suffering hugely. Most have either converted, or killed or escaped to Bharat. Not only that, Kashmir is another living example within Bharat, how Hindus can be driven out of their own land. Similar risks are clearly visible in Kerala, Bengal and Assam. It is high time a population policy is put in place.
The RSS Sarsanghchalak through his speech has presented an integrated view of the issues that confront our nation and how to face them to fulfil the destiny that the Supreme Being has blessed Bharat with. You can’t make economic progress if there is no peace within the society. You cannot have peace in society unless you face the truth – good or bad. In the complex world, one cannot have isolated problems and solutions. Everything is integrated and that is the Hindu worldview. We need to recognise our imperatives and move accordingly.
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