NAGPUR: The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh today celebrated its 100th Foundation Day (Vijayadashmi Utsav). On the occasion, RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat addressed the Swayamsewaks at Reshim Bagh, Nagpur.
Padma Bhushan awardee and former chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Dr K Radhakrishnan was the chief guest at the RSS annual Vijayadashami celebrations.
Dr Mohan Bhagwat While addressing the swayamsewaks on RSS Vijayadashmi Utsav also spoke on the bad condition of the environment. “A global problem in the environment around us which is also being experienced in our country in recent years is the bad condition of the environment. The seasonal cycle has become irregular and violent. The so-called developmental journey of man, based on the incomplete ideological basis of consumerism and materialism, has almost become a journey of destruction of the entire creation including humans. We should have made our developmental path on the basis of the complete, holistic and integrated vision based on our Bharatiya tradition, but we did not do so”, he said.
He further said that, “at present, such thoughts are being heard a little bit, some things have been accepted superficially and a few have been changed. Much more needs to be done. We are also suffering the consequences of blindly following the incomplete developmental path that leads to destruction in the name of development. The summer season scorches, the rain takes away everything and the winter freezes life like a dead body”.
He stressed the necessity of creating an ideological consensus across the country that focuses on sustainable and integrated development. “We are experiencing this cruel intensity of the seasons. Due to deforestation, greenery got destroyed, rivers dried up, chemicals poisoned our food, water, air and even the earth, mountains started collapsing, earth started cracking, we have been having all these experiences in the last few years. There is no alternative than to build a path on our own ideological basis which will compensate for all these losses and will give us sustainable, holistic and integrated development. This is possible only when there is a unanimous ideological consensus for this in the entire country and a decentralized method of implementation keeping in mind the diversity of the country”, he said.
He also urged the swayamsewaks to take personal responsibility to protect the environment. “We, in our capacity as individuals can start by practicing three small and simple things from our homes. The first thing is to use water as minimally as possible and conserve rain water. The second thing is not to use plastic items, completely abstain from using what is called single use plastic. The third thing is to increase greenery in our homes and outside, plant trees and participating in afforestation and preservation of traditionally planted trees everywhere. It will take time to resolve policy issues related to the environment, but we can start this simple action with immediate effect from our homes”, he said.
