 "Mohan Bhagwat")
At the end of its three-day coordination meeting with senior central government ministers, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Friday gave its unqualified vote of confidence to the performance of the Narendra Modi-led government. It also recommended broad policy prescriptions to the government, including replacing the “failed” Western model of economic development with one more suited to Indian needs, stopping migration from rural to urban areas and indigenising of education.
It said the Modi government was moving in the right direction, with commitment and dedication, and rejected criticism that the RSS was acting like a “remote control”.
The PM attended the meeting briefly on Friday evening and sought continued support of the Sangh Parivar. He assured that the government was making all efforts to deliver on its promises.
| RSS ‘INPUTS’ |
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The coordination meeting, chaired by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, was attended by 15 Sangh affiliates and 93 of its key workers.
The RSS said it was not reviewing the government’s performance but only giving “inputs” to ministers who were swayamsevaks, adding it had a right to do so. “We aren’t an illegal outfit. We are citizens of this country,” said joint general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale.
He added migration to urban areas should be stopped by constructing schools and hospitals and by creating job opportunities in rural areas.
The RSS recommended the government review its economic model, as the Western one had failed. It should adopt a model tailored to Indian needs which, apart from achieving economic growth, should also look at protecting the environment, it said. It sought ‘bharatiyakaran’ or indigenisation of education, albeit with modern elements; a stop to commercialisation of education; and easy access to education for the masses.
Likening Pakistan to the Kauravas in the Mahabharata, the RSS said all neighbouring countries were once part of India and were like “our brothers”. Hosabale, however, said though the Kauravas and Pandavas were brothers, “Dharma ki sansthapana ke liye kuchh bhi karna padta hai (all steps have to be taken to establish good governance, or ‘dharma’).”
Hosabale said for the first time in India’s history, the government had raised expectations and created confidence not only in India but also abroad, “though it is not possible to satisfy 100 per cent of the people”.
He said there was a need to protect temples and India’s cultural heritage. He added the government would work “positively” on setting up a Ram temple. “We are hopeful it will happen. We will wait for the implementation, according to their (the government’s) timetable.”
The RSS, he said, had constituted a team of workers to study the census data on religion. The committee would give its report at another RSS meeting in Ranchi.
On the ‘one rank, one pension, scheme, Hosabale said he was hopeful it would be implemented soon, as the government and Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah had assured him the issue would be resolved.
Other issues discussed at the meeting were security, Naxal problems and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
