RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat. File photo
| Photo Credit: ANI

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday (December 22, 2024) said all the persecution and atrocities that took place in the name of “dharma (religion)” happened due to misunderstanding and lack of understanding of “dharma”.

Speaking at the centenary function of ‘Mahanubhav Ashra’ in Maharashtra’s Amravati district, Mr. Bhagwat said ‘dharma’ was important and must be taught properly.

Asserting that ‘dharma’ has always existed and everything works according to it and that is why it is called “sanatan”, the RSS chief said “the conduct of dharma is protection of dharma”.

New Delhi:

In a snappy response to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks on India’s declining population growth and his advice to every couple to produce at least three children, Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury pointed to unemployment and said no one is ready to marry off their daughters to jobless men. She also asked, “Are we rabbits that we will keep reproducing?”

Speaking to NDTV at Parliament, the Rajya Sabha member said, “The unemployed men in the country cannot get married because no one is willing to fix their daughters’ wedding with a jobless man. They don’t have jobs. How will they take care (of their partners)? There is no money. Elderly parents are working and looking after their children. And he is saying produce more children. Are we rabbits that we will keep reproducing? Those who are talking, how many children can they bring up? What is their experience? We know.”

The Congress leader pointed to adulteration in food items, price rise of essential items and rising travel costs. “If anyone gets sick and is hospitalised, the treatment costs are huge.”

The veteran Congress leader was responding to Mr Bhagwat’s remarks at an event in Nagpur yesterday. The RSS chief said that the country’s declining population is a serious concern. “Demographic studies suggest that when a society’s total fertility rate falls below 2.1, it risks facing extinction. This decline does not necessarily require external threats; a society can gradually fade away on its own,” he said.

“Many languages and cultures have already disappeared due to this issue. Thus, it is essential to maintain a fertility rate above 2.1,” Mr Bhagwat said. He stressed that “kutumb” (family) is an integral part of society and every family serves as a vital building bloc of the country.

“Our country’s population policy, formulated either in 1998 or 2002, clearly says that the total fertility rate should not be below 2.1. Now when we say 2.1, it is not feasible to have children in fraction. So when we say 2.1, this means it should be more, at least three. The (population) science says so,” the RSS chief said.

India’s Total Fertility Rate, a key indicator to track the country’s population change, has declined from 2.2 to 2. A TFR less than 2.1 indicates that the population is shrinking and the median age is increasing. This points to an aging population.

New Delhi:

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday stated that there is no conflict between spirituality and science, as both fields require a sense of faith to achieve justice.

Mohan Bhagwat, along with Swami Avadheshanand Giri, launched the book ‘Banayen Jeevan Praanwaan’ authored by RSS Pracharak Mukul Kanitkar.

Speaking at the event, Bhagwat said, “For the past 2,000 years, the world has been influenced by arrogance. Humanity has believed that knowledge acquired through sensory perception is the only truth, particularly since the advent of modern science. However, this perspective is incomplete. Science has its limits, and it is erroneous to assume that nothing exists beyond its scope.”

He highlighted the unique characteristic of Indian Sanatan culture, which involves introspection while observing the external world.

“By delving deeply into inner experiences, we have discovered life’s truths. There is no reason for conflict between this approach and science. Spirituality also adheres to the principle of ‘know before you believe,’ though its methods differ. In spirituality, the tool is the mind, whose energy stems from prana (life force). The stronger this life force, the more capable one becomes of progressing on the spiritual path,” Mr Bhagwat explained.

He further remarked, “Every particle possesses consciousness and is therefore pure. This understanding has allowed us to offer a holistic vision of life. Today, the world also requires such a perspective. It is our responsibility to provide it, and we are fully capable of doing so.”

Mr Bhagwat stressed the significance of tapas (spiritual discipline), asserting that it is essential on both national and individual levels.

“Whether at the national or personal level, tapas is necessary. At its root lies praan shakti (life force). India possesses a unique praan shakti that exists before our eyes, though we often fail to recognise it. This life force is present in every individual and every aspect of existence. It was evident on January 22, the day of the Pran Pratishtha of the Ram Mandir. Whenever the world faces a crisis, India responds swiftly, whether the nation in question is a friend or an adversary. This is not a coincidence. The praan driving India’s consciousness is visible, and it forms the identity of our nation,” Mr Bhagwat concluded.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Nagpur:

RSS Sarsanghchalak (chief) Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said that if women are given freedom they can help everyone grow, as they work for the good of the society.

“Works that men can do, women cannot do and women can do things that men cannot do. If women are given freedom, they can help everyone grow. A woman works for the good of all,” said Mohan Bhagwat during his address after unveiling the painting of the second Sarsanghchalak Golwarkar Guruji at Dharampeth Women’s Bank in Nagpur.

He said that earlier people used to say agriculture is our religion. “Religion is not a kitchen but it is the work of society. Religion means doing the work of society. Religion grows through conduct and not by preaching,” said the RSS chief.

Referring to the Dharampeth Women’s Bank, Mr Bhagwat said that the organisation has grown in three decades because ‘matrushakti’ (maternal power) played a crucial role.

“Dattopant Thengadi used to stay at Golwalkar Guruji’s house when he was a student. When I was doing second-year training in RSS, at that time Golwalkar Guruji’s teaching was focused on intellectual development. Some people do education as an industry but education means giving knowledge,” he said.

He added that RSS works as it does not want to gain anything, adding, that the RSS wants to create an effective group and to organise the society.

“The rules should be followed. Sarsanghchalak has no statutory authority but no one lets his word down. The office of the Sangh is till the Sarsanghchalak,” said Mr Bhagwat.
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday described an educational exercise of finding out whether KG students knew about their private parts as an attack by the leftist ecosystem. He said leftists are not just opponents of Hindus or Bharat, but the entire world.

He was speaking at the launch of a Marathi book ‘Jagala Pokharnari Davi Walvi’ (World-Weakening Leftist Termites) in Pune.

“I visited a school in Gujarat where a seer showed me an instruction in a kindergarten school. It said the class teachers have been asked to find out whether KG-2 pupils knew the names of their private parts. The attack (of leftist ecosystem) has come this far and it is not possible without the help of the people.” The RSS chief said such attacks are being made on all the auspicious things in “our” culture.

“The first order after the new government was formed in the US (after Donald Trump) was related to school, where teachers were asked not to talk to pupils about their gender. Pupils should be able to decide on their own. If a boy says that he is now a girl, then the boy should be allowed to use the toilet meant for girls,” Bhagwat said.

“Why wouldn’t their culture stink,” he wondered.

During his speech, Bhagwat also said that leftist people have arrogance and “excessive pride in their evil tendency”. “They do not have people’s support and may have some money power but their ecosystem is growing. We (RSS) are lagging behind there.” The leftist people have started “Cultural Marxism” to destroy auspicious things in the world and the onus of freeing the world from this crisis is going to be on Bharat, Bhagwat said.

“The leftist people in Western countries took a stand against auspicious things and started destruction. Society is suffering from their stand in the name of deliberation. Human behaviour is inclining towards beastly tendencies and this crisis is now hovering over India as well,” he said.

“It has reached our families and Indian society needs to be alert,” the RSS chief said.

The RSS chief said the leftists wanted to pollute American culture and they succeeded in it. “They are not just opponents of Hindus or Bharat, but the entire world. They think they are powerful, they are gods. They call themselves scientists, but they are not,” he said.

He said there is a need to “shred the confusion they (leftists) have created about our own world”. “This book is a textbook for such work,” Bhagwat said, adding that the translation of the book should be done in Hindi and English.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Nagpur:

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday said that discrimination exists in our society, and reservations should continue as long as inequality persists.

Speaking at an event in agpur, he also said the ‘Akhand Bharat’ or undivided India will become a reality before today’s youngsters become old, as those who separated from India in 1947 are now feeling that they made a mistake.

Incidentally, Mr Bhagwat’s statement on reservations came at a time when the Maratha community’s agitation for a quota has once again intensified.

“We kept our own fellow human beings behind in the social system. We did not care for them, and it continued for 2000 years. Until we provide them equality, some special remedies have to be there, and reservations is one of them. Hence, reservations have to continue till there is such discrimination. We at the RSS give all support to the reservations provided in the Constitution,” he said.

Discrimination exists in society even though we may not see it, he noted.

Reservations are about “giving respect” and not just about ensuring financial or political equality, the RSS chief further said.

If the sections of society which faced discrimination suffered for 2000 years, “why cannot we (those who did not face discrimination) accept some trouble for 200 more years,” he added.

Replying to a question by a student, Mohan Bhagwat said he can not tell exactly when the Akhand Bharat will come into existence.

“But if you go on working for it, you will see it materialise before you get old. Because the conditions are becoming such that those who separated from India feel that they made a mistake. They feel that we should have been India again. They think that for becoming India they need to erase the lines on the map. But it is not so. Being India is accepting the nature (“swabhav”) of India,” the RSS chief said.

To a question about the claims that the RSS did not hoist the national flag at its headquarters in Mahal area here from 1950 till 2002, Bhagwat said, “Every year on August 15 and January 26 we hoist the national flag, wherever we are. There is flag-hoisting at both our campuses in Mahal and Reshimbagh in Nagpur. People should not ask this question to us.” He then recalled an incident during the Congress’s Tejpur convention near Jalgaon in 1933 when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the national flag on an 80-feet pole.

The flag got stuck midway in front of a crowd of about 10,000, but a youth came forward, climbed the pole and freed it, he said.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru asked the youth to be present at the convention the next day for felicitation, but it did not happen because some people told him that the youth attended an RSS ‘shakha’ (daily assembly), Mr Bhagwat claimed.

When (RSS founder) Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar learnt this, he visited the youth’s house and praised him, the RSS chief said.

The youth’s name was Kishan Singh Rajput, he added.

“The RSS has been associated with the honour of the national flag from the very first time it faced a problem. We also hoist the national flag on these two days (August 15 and January 26)….But whether it is hoisted or not, when it comes to the honour of the national flag, our swayamsevak (RSS volunteer) has been in the forefront and ready to give his life,” Mr Bhagwat said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on June 20 laid importance on organic- and ancient methods of farming and said it would be wrong to reject such local knowledge as unscientific without examining them.

He was speaking at the annual ‘Convocation-cum-Scientific Convention’ jointly organised by National Academy of Veterinary Sciences (India), New Delhi and Maharashtra Animal and Fishery Sciences University, Nagpur.

Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Parshottam Rupala, who was the guest of honour, was bestowed honorary fellowship along with Mr. Bhagwat and State Minister Sunil Kedar at the event.

India’s farming and animal husbandry methods are the oldest, Mr. Bhagwat said, adding that modern science has side effects but our ancient knowledge and methods do not have side effects. “Focus must be on flexibility in research and use of local knowledge. It is wrong to reject local knowledge by terming it unscientific. You can reject it after examining it, you are free to reject it if it is not right,” he said at the event.

“Secondly, mechanised farming would not last long. Even today, 65% farmers cultivate on small land holdings and mechanised farming is not very beneficial for them. Because of fertilizers etc, he [farmer] falls into debt and then commits suicide. He should be taught sustainable agriculture which he can understand,” the RSS chief said.

He stressed on “Bharat centric” method of farming, which can increase our GDP, adding that the country was the number one economy in the world till 1700 AD. “We had agrarian economy that time and industry and commerce were also related to agriculture. We will need to have Bharat centric approach to achieve this [increasing GDP],” he said.

The RSS chief said there was need for public partnerships for sustainability as the government was not rich enough to provide funds for all departments. He also spoke on the “language block” being faced by farmers, stating that most information on animal husbandry was in English.

“The new education policy has included the use of local language in technical subjects. We need to spread this knowledge in local languages,” Mr. Bhagwat said.