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MOHAN Bhagwat Clears Cobweb About RSS

NINETY- Three years   after establishment of Rashtriya Swamsewak Sangh in Maharashtra’s Nagpur by Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, it organised a three-day convention at the New Delhi’s iconic Vigyan Bhawan where it’s incumbent chief Mohan Bhagwat allayed several misconceptions about the much maligned organisation. On the last day of the event on Wednesday, Bhagwat answered questions on nearly 25 subjects from homosexuality to lynching to Hinduism and Articles 370 and 35 A giving   constitutional safeguard to the genuine   indigenous people of Jammu & Kashmir. Not only he answered the questions deftly without any ambiguity, but also revealed that the R SS is adjusting itself with the fast changing world where norms, man-made customs and conventions are also undergoing a sea- change. RSS ,which is considered the custodian of Hindu beliefs, its ethos  and cultural  heritage, hailed  the  decriminalising  the LGBT community  by the Supreme Court  of India and pleaded for  changing  the  society’s  perception about  them. Bhagwat said that homosexuals exist in the society and the society needs to change with time.”Making an issue out of it will not help,” Bhagwat said rightly as a social reformist. Mob lynchings on suspicion of cow theft for slaughter has rightly created law and order problem in several    parts of India. It is  appreciable that he deplored  such  heinous incidents  while  stressing  the need  for protection  of the bovine  population   for the  benefit  of   rural  economy . It is wrong to associate criminals with those who truly protect and take care of cows. Killing in the name of cow is not acceptable.”Violence is completely unacceptable and strict action should be taken. Cow protection should be done in a constitutional way, but cow protectors should keep cows first. There are many Muslims in Indi a who operate shelters for cow which is held in high esteem by the  Hindu believers. Rubbishing  the  allegation  by its critics that  RSS  has  a puritan  view on  the fair  sex, he  called for  changing   outlook   of  men  on  them and stricter  law for  stamping  out  woman  and  child  atrocities .He is  not  wrong  while  pitching   for construction  of a Ram Temple  in his birth  place  at Ayodhya  amicably  in  cooperation  with the  Muslim community  for  ending  tension  and  in interest  of  communal  harmony . The construction of a grand Ram temple will help resolve tension between Hindus and Muslims, and if the temple is built in a harmonious way, then there will be no more pointing of fingers at Muslims “as he said.  However  RSS, is  opposed to Article 35A which gives special privileges to the state of Jammu and Kashmir  but  disinherit s  a Kashmiri woman of her  parental  property  if she  marries a non-Kashmiri besides non-Kashmiris  are not allowed  to buy or own  landed  property  in the state. This is discriminatory in the 21st century and not acceptable. Mohan Bhagwat did not hide RSS’s stand on Article 370 along with Article 35A making public again saying these are not acceptable. This is the stated position. Successive  Indian governments have affirmed that Jammu & Kashmir  including  the  Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK)   is an  integral part  of India and  made  repeated  announcements  in Parliament, United  Nations  Organisation and  several other  multi-national  organisations since  India  became  an Independent  nation.  Whether the state should be divided into three parts -Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh- should be taken by administration and situation. If it helps, they can think about the division. Bhagwat asserted that the RSS fully supports reservation  for  OBC , Scheduled  Castes  and  Tribes in government  service  and  educational  institutions. Clarifying stance on Hindu Rashtra, Bhagwat said that though RSS believes in Hindu Rashtra, they are not against Muslims.  Yes, we do believe in a Hindu Rashtra, but it does not mean that we are against Muslims. We believe in that world is a family as taught by our seers over thousands of years where every sect has its space.” He made it crystal clear Muslims have legitimate rights in the envisioned Hindu Rashtra.” These are cardinal programs which will be propagated among the people in the coming days. Unfortunately, despite prior  announcement  that the RSS was prepared to answer any query  related  to its stands  on controversial  issues,  its  detractors  stayed  away  from the venue. It will not  be  erroneous  to conclude  hence  that the  RSS has  left  them  without  any  issue  to  castigate  it  for allegedly   ruining  India’s  unity  in  diversity   after  the Nagpur   headquartered   growing  organisation  has reaffirmed faith  in the country’s  hallowed Constitution  framed by Dr Baba Sahib Ambedkar along with other stalwarts  of India’s freedom movement. However, it cannot be overlooked that the concept of Hindu Rashtra has obviously created a sense of psychological fear among the non-Hindus. Should not the RSS give some convincing rationale behind the perception to allay their apprehension?

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