New Delhi: Maintaining relations with neighbouring countries are necessary, said RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat Wednesday as he emphasised that India should reach out and help its neighbours.
As part of its centenary celebrations, the RSS had extended invitations to a number of countries including Russia and China, while Pakistan, Bangladesh and Turkey were left out. Bhagwat made these remarks during a programme in Delhi, themed “100 Year Journey of RSS: New Horizons”.
The RSS sarsanghachalak Bhagwat said forging relations is necessary and there has to be contact with others and pointed out that an outreach needs to take place irrespective of religion or community.
“To promote the idea of India, our culture and our thoughts in the world… it is important to expand our horizons. First expansion should happen with neighbouring countries. Most of the neighbouring countries of India were once India,” he said.
On relations with neighbouring countries, he said, “The rivers, mountains and people are the same, only lines have been drawn on the map. They have to be connected so that everyone can progress with the inherited values. Religions and sects may be different, but there is no difference in sanskars.”
Bhagwat said that before bringing changing the world, one must change one’s home. “And first of all it has to be in neighbouring countries. Most neighbouring countries of Bharat were once part of Bharat—the people, geography, rivers, and forests remain the same; only lines were drawn on maps,” he said.
The RSS chief said India’s first duty should be to ensure that “those who are ours should connect with the feeling of belonging”.
“The countries will remain separate… but on the basis of values we have in our heritage, we should ensure that they progress and India should have some contribution in it,” he explained.
Diplomats from more than 55 embassies were present at the event which took place in Delhi today. “More than 10 ambassadors/high commissioners/CDAs and nearly 45 embassy representatives at various levels attended today’s lecture,” said a senior RSS functionary.
Bhagwat also said India is the biggest amongst the neighboring countries and it should play its role in ensuring that they remain connected, that there is peace, stability, development, etc.
The RSS chief pointed out that today there is a lack of coordination in the world and the world will have to change its perspective and adopt the path of ‘Dharma’.
“Dharma is beyond worship and rituals. Dharma is above all types of religion. Dharma teaches us balance—we have to live, society has to live and nature has to live too. Dharma is the middle path that protects us from extremism. Dharma means living with dignity and balance. World peace can be established only with this perspective,” he explained.
Bhagwat then went on to showcase India as a beacon of hope and said at a time when the world longs for harmony, India’s role is to offer the path of dharma, which he said is not to be confused with religion.
The RSS chief said while their sects and religions may be different, the provincial culture is one. “Is there any difference of opinion on this? It is not so at all”.
Bhagwat said people across the spectrum are united in this exercise. He emphasised on outreach and communication—‘human to human communication, heart to heart talk’.
“This should start. The environment which will develop from this will make the relations better and will be useful for the world,” he explained.
Bhagwat in his speech also expressed concern over the growing phenomena of intolerance and extremism and linked it to the global problem of ‘wokism’ and ‘cancel culture’.
Commenting on the basic spirit of Hindutva, Bhagwat said that Hindutva is truth, love and belongingness. “Our sages and saints taught us that life is not for oneself. This is the reason why India has to play the role of showing the way like an elder brother in the world. The idea of world welfare is born from this.”
The RSS chief said he was concerned the world was moving towards fanaticism, conflict and unrest.
He said in the last three and a half hundred years, the decency of human life has diminished due to a consumerist and materialistic outlook. Bhagwat referred to Mahatma Gandhi’s warning about social sins. “Seven social sins are rising. These are wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, religion without sacrifice and politics without principles,” Bhagwat said while highlighting excessive rise of individualism, which has eroded restraint and traditional values.
The RSS chief emphasised that in today’s world, people merely want their wishes to be enforced and do not value dialogue. “If we don’t echo their opinion, they cancel us,” he said, explaining that it has become a global issue which has left even parents worried about its impact on children.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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