“The title of this book is We and the World Around. There is importance of the book named ‘We’. To understand this ‘We’, we should look at the book ‘We’ written by Sri MS Golwalkar. Then there is ‘the world around’ in the title. What is happening around us when we are sitting here? Bombing, killing, and anticipation of World War III and many more things are happening. The fact is that the world has been divided. It is being said that the United Nations has failed.
The world is facing an economic crisis. Therefore, nothing wrong to say that this world has become highly fanatic and fundamentalist. It’s also high time to understand the gap between ‘We’ then and ‘We’ now,” said Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, eminent thinker, Senior leader, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and former Union Minister during the launch of book We and the World around on October 26 at Dr Ambedkar International Centre. The book is a collection of articles written by Dr Manmohan Vaidya, Sah-Sarkaryawah, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Mahamandaleshwar of Juna Akhada and spiritual Guru Swami Avdheshanand Ji Maharaj graced the occasion as Chair.
Dr Joshi said the gaps between the world are the same even today when the earlier ‘We’ was written. The world is out of balance. This is happening because ‘We’ has been replaced by ‘I’.
While pointing out the duplicity and weakness of the Western world on social front, Dr Murli Manohar Joshi said, “America is in existent only for the last 400-500 years. So the question arises: how to define America? US was a group of companies which later became a state. So, the question is, who are Americans? Can the flag be their identity? So, Americans categorically said that white and Anglo-Saxons, who are protestant, are Americans. So, this is the fundamental principle of a country which lectures the world on human rights and secularism.
In Europe, the state has been given more importance, and there is nothing called a nation. State is artificial, and it could be changed at any time. Palestine-Israel and Russia-Ukraine are result of this. These countries came into existence only a few decades ago. They still don’t know their identity. However, in Bharat, we solved all these things thousand years ago. We have a proper system to resolve such issues. The land of Bharat talks about everyone. But, this has not happened in Europe. So this book talks about all these issues.”
Dr Manmohan Vaidya , while addressing the gathering, said, “I am not a writer, but an incident provoked to write. There are about 34 articles in this book. 29 of them I wrote in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Nine of them I wrote in only 7 months of 2018. Before this, I had written only two articles in 2010 and 2016 on demand. In June 2018, former President Dr Pranab Mukherjee was invited to participate in the conclusion of Sangh Shiksha Varg. Pranab Mukherjee was a great thinker and had long experience in politics. He was there to express his view there, not to join RSS. But, people opposed this unnecessarily. This incident prompted me to write an article. This controversy also benefited us. This exposed unliberal attitude of those who call themselves liberals. The program was on June 7, 2018, which was was also broadcast live on by media and many people watched this event. As a result, on the same day, RSS got a record number of 1779 requests on the website in the name of Join RSS.”
While talking about RSS, Dr Vaidya said, “It is difficult to understand RSS from outside. There is no social organisation like Sangh in the world. However, if one enters into sangh, it becomes very easy to understand this. How a section of people tried to create misconception about Sangh, and also how people changes their perspective about Sangh, all these things have been mentioned in this book.”
Dr Vaidya said, “The title of this book, We and the World Around, clearly says that Bharat’s view to see the world is different than others in the world. We always see the world as one and never divide it. Otherisation is not the view of Bharat. We believe in Vashudhaib Kutumbakam. However, those who believe in Materlisitic things, they believe in ‘Otherisation’. Why Bharat is different than others? It is the lifestyle of Bharatiyas, which is spiritual. That’s why Bharat is holistic and integral. Therefore, the way Pranab Mukherjee was opposed was not the idea of Bharat. Their world view is sematic.”
He added that fanaticism starts from ‘We and they’, then either ‘we or other’ and then reaches to only me. So, these people opposed Pranab Mukherjee. Therefore, one will have to understand Bharat to understand Sangh.”
Swami Avdheshanand Giri, Acharya Mahamandleshwar Juna Akhara, said, “Due to lack of discipline and false ego of being superior, western countries are divided. From the perspective of thought, Bharat is prosperous. The idea of Bharat is different than others. Many civilisations came and were wiped out. But Bharat still exists. Bharat is an idea, not a piece of land.”
“As many as 17 lakh Muslims are who live in Israel are standing by Israel, not Hamas. And some of our people are standing by Hamas. Its matter of concern,” he said without naming anyone.
Arun Maheshwari, the Chairman and Managing Director of Vani Prakashan Group and publisher of the book introduced the dignitaries and thanks them. Aditi Maheshwari-Goyal is Executive Director at Vani Prakashan Group read out the messages of Namita Gokhale, one of the founders of Jaipur Lit Fest who initiated the idea of compiling articles of Dr Vaidya and Prof M D Nalapat who is Editorial Director of the Sunday Guardian. Pragya Tiwari, eminent journalist spoke about the book and said, “in the divided world, the writings of Dr Vaidya teaches us openness”. Eminent journalist and commentator, Anant Vijay connected the dots through his exemplary compering. Many eminent personalities associate with the Sangh, other affiliated organisations, media personalities and educationist etc were present on the occassion.
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