Stressing that India is inherently a “Hindu nation”, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said no constitutional approval is required to establish this, calling it a matter of truth rather than legality, according to ANI.
Addressing the ‘100 Vyakhyan Mala’ programme in Kolkata to mark 100 years of the RSS, Bhagwat said, “The Sun rises in the east; we don’t know since when this has been happening. So, do we need constitutional approval for that too? Hindustan is a Hindu nation. Whoever considers India their motherland appreciates Indian culture, as long as there is even one person alive on the land of Hindustan who believes in and cherishes the glory of Indian ancestors, India is a Hindu nation. This is the ideology of the Sangh.”
He added that formal recognition in the Constitution was immaterial to the RSS. “If Parliament ever decides to amend the Constitution and add that word, whether they do it or not, it’s fine. We don’t care about that word because we are Hindus, and our nation is a Hindu nation. That is the truth. The caste system based on birth is not the hallmark of Hindutva,” Bhagwat said.
The RSS has long maintained that India is a Hindu nation based on its civilisational and cultural ethos. Bhagwat also referred to the constitutional history, noting that the word ‘secular’ was not part of the original Preamble and was added later through the Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976, during the Emergency.
Seeking to counter criticism of the organisation, Bhagwat urged people to engage directly with the RSS to dispel what he described as false perceptions of it being “anti-Muslim.” “If there is a perception that we are anti-Muslim, then, as I said, the RSS work is transparent. You can come anytime and see for yourself, and if you see anything like that happening, then you keep your views, and if you don’t see then you change your views. There is a lot to understand (about RSS), but if you don’t want to understand then no one can change your mind,” he said.
He said many visitors had come away with a different understanding of the organisation. “After seeing, people have said that you are staunch nationalists. You organise Hindus, and you advocate for the protection of Hindus. But you are not anti-Muslim. Many people have accepted this, and those who want to know more should come and see the RSS for themselves,” Bhagwat added.
The RSS chief also weighed in on population-related debates, describing population growth as both a challenge and an opportunity. “We haven’t managed the population effectively. Population is a burden, but it’s also an asset. We have a democratic dividend as the population is huge. We should make a policy based on a 50-year projection, taking into account our country’s environment, infrastructure, facilities, the status of women, their health, and the needs of the country,” he said.
On social issues, Bhagwat criticised the idea of live-in relationships, emphasising the role of marriage in society. “Regarding the concept of live-in relationships. You’re not ready to take responsibility. This isn’t right. The family, marriage, is not just a means of physical satisfaction. It’s a unit of society. The family is where an individual learns how to live in society,” he said, adding that marriage is linked to preserving social and religious traditions.
He also said decisions on family size should not be reduced to rigid formulas. “A formula cannot be given. I’ve gained some knowledge by talking to doctors, etc and they say that if marriage takes place early, between 19-25 years of age, and there are three children, then the health of the parents and children remains good… Then demographers say that if the birth rate falls below three, the population is declining, and if it goes below 2.1, it’s dangerous. Currently, we are at 2.1 only because of Bihar; otherwise, our rate is 1.9. That’s the information I’ve received. I am a preacher, unmarried. I don’t know anything about this matter. I’ve told you based on the information I received,” Bhagwat said.
The ‘100 Vyakhyanmala’ is a lecture series delivered by Bhagwat as part of the RSS’s centenary celebrations.
*With Agency Inputs
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