What is the Sangh’s view on growing Islamic radicalism in Bengal, incidents of violence against Hindus, and Muslim infiltration from Bangladesh? is also affecting Bengal’s demographic composition.
This is an administrative question. Who will come if the borders are opened, and how to manage that, must be considered. You may want to open it for Hindus, but others may also come. That does happen. There is always a difference between the weak and the strong. Any measure must be decided after carefully considering the nature of those for whom it is intended. Therefore, this needs thoughtful consideration. It is for the government to decide. What you feel, we also feel the same. Whatever you all are thinking about this, that is exactly what we think too. There is no difference. There is compassion in our hearts about this, and such compassion should be there in everyone. Everyone should work together to change the wrong situation.
When will the lack of foresight among Hindus in Bengal end? How can they ensure their security?
Where Hindus are in a minority, the situation is indeed difficult. Still, for whatever maximum protection is possible, Hindus there will have to remain united. And Hindus across the world, within their limits, should help them in whatever way and to whatever extent they can.
For Hindus, there is only one country—Bharat. The Government of India will need to take note of this and act. Perhaps it is already doing some things. Some matters can be spoken about, some cannot. Sometimes results come; sometimes they don’t, but effort will be required.
Here, we too must stand firmly as an organised society. If a united Hindu society stands up, the situation in Bengal will change quickly.
What are your views on political change in Bengal?
Thinking about political change is not my task. The Sangh’s work focuses on social change. A transformed society will decide for itself what it should and should not do. On this, I have no doubt.
What changes do you believe are necessary in madrasa education to strengthen national integration and prevent radical thinking?
In the madrasa education system, it is necessary to teach respect for all religions and to give up ideas of Islamic radicalism—this is absolutely necessary. Wherever the government and administration can take steps to address this, they should. The experience so far is that some people accept this and say that this is right. In some madrasas, modern education and instruction on Bharat have begun. I have seen this myself. Not everyone does it, but it should be done.
The Assam government has done this. I understand they have said that grants will be awarded only if such topics are taught. Only around 30 per cent did not accept the change. That is fine. A madrasa is meant to give religious education; it is private—there is no problem with that. In Bharat, there is freedom of religion. But national education should also be provided alongside modern education, and we all have to live together. Therefore, there should be no sense of high or low, no sense of right or wrong in terms of people. Everyone follows their own path. Respect everyone. This kind of education should be provided everywhere and there as well.
If we discuss this at the social level, some people can also work on it. But if administrative steps are taken, this change will come. The task of shaping minds can be done by all of us, and it should be done.
In West Bengal, many communities are adopting Christianity after being influenced by pastors. How can this be addressed?
Those communities, which until now had been resisting conversion and had not abandoned their dharma, have come under such influence. For this, we are responsible. We did not maintain contact with them. Missionaries come from outside, settle there as if they belong to the place, live among them, serve them, and then people get influenced. Many still do not, but when they feel their own society is not supporting them, they lose patience.
How to address this? Go and establish contact with them. Stand with them in their joys and sorrows. Even if you cannot do as much service as the missionaries do, be with them and do whatever you can. Once they feel that “our own people are with us and will do whatever they can,” those who have gone away will return. They have returned in this way before, and they will return again. Therefore, we should not neglect them. We must not ignore our people.
We should tell them: whatever form of worship has been followed in your lineage, remain firm in that. Our dharma is one—human dharma, which is called Hindu dharma—but why leave the practices of your ancestors? Remain steadfast in them; we are with you. If this is done, return will also happen, and departures will stop. This is the remedy, and it should be done.
The growing population is one of the biggest problems of our country. What is the Sangh’s view?
Your question actually contains two concerns. First, you are worried about the growing population, and then you are worried that people are not having children. The problem, by itself, is not whether the population is large or small. The problem is that we have not managed the population. Population can be a burden, but population can also be an asset.
We have a demographic dividend today due to our large young population. After 30 years, these same people will have grown older. How many young people will then be needed to support them? This needs to be considered with a 50-year projection. We must consider our country’s environment, infrastructure and facilities, the status of women and their health, and the number of people the country will need to support at that time. Based on all this, a policy should be decided. Then it should be applied equally to all.
There is a growing trend toward marrying later, living in live-in relationships, and not having children. How should they be made to understand this?
It means not being ready to take responsibility. This is not right. The family that is formed through marriage is not a means of physical satisfaction. It is a unit of society. How a person should live in society is learnt in the family. Cultural traditions and values are passed on from generation to generation through it. In our country, the family is also the centre of economic activity. The nation’s savings and gold remain with families. So the family is the cultural, economic, and social unit.
It is what sustains our country, our society, and our religious traditions. One may choose to become a renunciate and not marry—there is freedom for that. But if one neither becomes a renunciate nor takes on this responsibility, how will things proceed?
The question of how many children to have is a matter of the family, of the husband and wife, and of society as well. A balance among all three has to be found in each case. Doctors say that if marriage occurs between the ages of 19 and 25 and there are three children, the health of both parents and children remains good. Psychologists say that with three children, people learn to manage their ego. Population experts say that if the number falls below 3, the decline begins, and if it falls below 2.1, it becomes dangerous. Currently, due to Bihar, our average is around 2.1; otherwise, it is about 1.9.
Our national population policy target is 2.1. In other matters, one might round it off to two, but in the case of people, you cannot have 0.1 of a child. A whole child is born. So 2.1 effectively means more than two, that is, three. Householders should think and decide on this.
