Quite disappointing
Concept of minorities needs a rethink: RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale
There is a need for a rethink on the concept of minorities as enshrined in the Indian Constitution, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said on Sunday.
Responding to a question on whom the Sangh considers as minorities when it says it is trying to engage with them, Hosabale suggested that when a particular community is called a minority, it creates divisions in society. He was speaking to the press on the last day of the RSS’s Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) baithak in Nagpur.
“A rethink is required over the concept of minorities as enshrined in the Constitution. Who does the country belong to? It belongs to everyone. But a tradition of calling (some communities) minorities has taken shape for the past many decades. Sangh has always opposed minority politics,” he said.
“Communities which operate under the Hindu code Bill, the Sangh organises them. Generally, there is an understanding of Muslims and Christians being the minorities. All Sangh chiefs have tried to maintain communication with them. A lot of RSS workers also come from these communities. We do not exhibit them as showpieces. It is not necessary. We consider everyone Hindu through their nationality. Those who do not subscribe to this because of their religion are engaged in dialogue. Our doors are open for anyone who wants to talk to us,” he added.
On the Gyanvapi controversy, Hosabale suggested the Sangh was not pushing for a public movement on the lines of Ram Temple movement.
“The issue of Kashi-Mathura has been raised by the Hindu society and the VHP is involved in it. But every illness does not have the same medicine. So according to the nature of the problem, the nature of the movement changes. It is not necessary that the Ram Janmabhoomi movement needs to be replicated for all issues. The matter is in court. Let it take its course. What happened in the Ram Janmabhoomi case, courts are seized of the matter,” he said.
On a question of whether Samjik Samrasta was aimed at ensuring harmony within a particular community or is meant for all communities, Hosabale said, “The focus of Samajik Samarasta is that unfortunately within the Hindu society there are problems of social hierarchy and untouchability for which the Sangh has been working from day one. …some communities are not allowed in the temples or the cremations grounds. So we have to do away with this.”
Hosabale, however, clarified that in the Sangh’s vision national integrity includes all communities. “For example, during the Ram Temple Akshat Vitaran Samaroh, all communities of society were involved. I was in Ayodhya on January 22 and there too all communities had come. In Kerala, Christians and Muslims also included. The RSS chief has made efforts to engage with leaders of all communities in the past few years,” he said.
“There are many challenges before the country. There are forces which are putting roadblocks in the progress of the country. Sadly, incidents of discrimination on the basis of social hierarchy and untouchability still happen. Sangh, along with religious and social leadership, tries to rectify this. Social harmony is an article of faith for the Sangh, not a strategy. It should be an article of faith for everyone in the country,” he said.
On the Uniform Civil Code, Hosabale said, “We welcome Uniform Civil Code. We have passed a resolution earlier on this. What Uttarakhand has done should be studied. We urge that it is implemented across the country. There should be a wide consultation.”
The ABPS also passed a resolution on the inauguration of the Ram Temple, which it called “an ethereal and golden page of world history”. It said that the participation of “entire gamut” of Indian social life in the inauguration ceremony was “an indication of the beginning of a glorious epoch of national resurgence of Bharat”.
“With the Pran Pratishtha of Ram Lalla at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi, society is coming out of the lack of confidence and self-oblivion that arose during the period of foreign rule and struggle. The entire society immersed in the spirit of Hindutva is preparing to recognise its ‘swa’ (selfhood) and getting ready to live accordingly,” it said.
Deeptiman Tiwary – 2024-03-17 18:06