Religion-based population imbalance cannot to be ignored: RSS chief

Population imbalances lead to changes in geographical boundaries, says Mohan Bhagwat at a Vijayadasami event

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday stressed that not only government but society too needs to pitch in and generate employment. His comments at the annual Dussehra rally in Nagpur came days after RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale created a flutter when he flagged the issues of poverty, unemployment, and rising inequality in the country.

In the widely watched Dussehra address, Bhagwat also sought a comprehensive new population policy, which should apply to everyone equally. He further said India must empower women to unleash their creative energy, giving them freedom and equality, should shun dogma, and discard blind faith.

Bhagwat, who recently met with a group of Muslim intellectuals and visited a Delhi mosque, stressed that there was no intention among Indians to create fear in anyone and that dialogue with minority communities, such as the Muslims, would continue.

He also lauded the Narendra Modi-led BJP government for its handling of the livelihood crisis following the Covid pandemic but added that job creation was not the responsibility of the government alone. “The government has responded to the employment crisis. I am not arguing that the government should retreat. But simultaneously, society has to respond by providing employment – we (the RSS) have. We have created jobs in 275 districts by helping create small businesses and employment opportunities. More will follow. But all parts of society have to support such endeavours."

Mountaineer Santosh Yadav was the chief guest at the RSS event. Bhagwat said contrary to belief, this was not the first time a woman had been asked to grace the occasion: ‘Rajmata Maharani’ Amrit Kaur and a host of others had been distinguished guests hosted by the Sangh. He said unless the strength of women in society was harnessed, India would not reach its place in the world. He simultaneously underlined other factors that were holding India back: Untouchability, superstition, and dogmatism. In order to embrace an ‘Indian’ India, Bhagwat said untouchability must be rooted out.

 

He further said: “Population requires resources. If it grows without building resources, it becomes a burden. There is another view in which population is considered an asset. We need to work on a population policy for all keeping both aspects in mind.” He, however, added: "Religion-based population imbalance is an important subject not to be ignored. Population imbalances lead to changes in geographical boundaries. Alongside the differences in birth rate, conversions by force, allure or greed and infiltration are also big reasons."

Population imbalance can lead to countries breaking apart, he said, as he cited East Timor, Kosovo, and South Sudan as examples of "new countries that emerged because of imbalance among religions in a population".

Addressing concerns among minorities in the country, the RSS chief said, "Scare-mongering by some is being done that there is a danger to minorities because of us. This is neither the belief of the Sangh nor of the Hindus. Sangh resolves to stand on the side of brotherhood, amity, and peace." At the same time, he said events like the beheading of Hindus in Amaravati and Udaipur (which happened after a BJP functionary’s remarks about the Prophet’s family) should be condemned by all.

“Right-minded leaders of the Muslim community have also condemned it,” he said. He exhorted Hindus to never forget the limits laid on all Indians by the constitution and rule of law. 

Bhagwat flagged two important developments that put the seal of approval on the central government’s policies -- he lauded India’s outreach to Sri Lanka in its time of distress and upheld its Russia-Ukraine policy of equidistance and appeal for peace. He said it was a matter of great satisfaction that the world was sitting up and listening to India.

The RSS chief spoke at length about the importance of the mother tongue. He did not specifically name Hindi but spoke approvingly about the New Education Policy (NEP) that celebrated the mother tongue. “We tend to believe English is crucial to career development. We send our children to get an English education. But how many of us value our mother tongue?” he asked.

The RSS chief asked Indians to be vigilant against forces that wanted to hold India back. “There are elements who will come to you, posing as supporters of our cause. Be vigilant. Some of them want to spread anarchy, and disaffection against rule of law. We must be on the side of the administration and the state in regard to such people,” he said.