Hindutva is ingrained in the fabric of India and that is why Hindutva is nationalism, said Rashtraiya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat while addressing a large gathering of university and college teachers of the Braj region of Uttar Pradesh in Agra on Saturday.
Bharat and Hindu have the same meaning and the entire world describes India as Hindu, said Mr. Bhagwat in his long lecture on being Hindu and Hindu culture.
Which law asked Hindus to produce fewer children, he asked responding to a question on the alleged rising growth rate of the Muslim population in India.
“Who has stopped them [Hindus],” he said responding to a participant.
Mr. Bhagwat asked teachers to join the RSS and have a personal experience of how the organisation changed the system by building character.
“What is quite easy to understand is that Hindutva is the quality of Bharat and that is why Hindutva is rashtriytva [nationalism],” said Mr. Bhagwat.
He referred to the BJP government at the Centre, and said that the RSS could not solve problems directly but produces swayamsevaks who can make a difference and change the system.
While replying to complaints of teachers on salaries and changes in the education system, Mr. Bhagwat said that he would convey their problems to the Union Education Minister but he also said, “For a long and stable change in the system in the national interest, I appeal to newcomers to this conference to come to the RSS shakha (office) and see for yourself. This is the way.”
‘Join the shakha’“You should come to the RSS office for six months or one year. There would be complete freedom to come and go without any restrictions. If you find all the things that I said here in the RSS shakha then stay. This is a long but certain way to decide the direction of your belief,” added Mr. Bhagwat.
Talking about the nomenclature of the RSS, Mr. Bhagwat invoked the JNU controversy and said, “Our [RSS] name does not start with ‘Hindu’ or ‘bharatiya’ but ‘rashtriya’ because it’s all synonymous.” Were people living on a geographical structure Indian? If this was the case, then how come people living in India raised slogans such as Bharat tere tukde honge ?”
“It [India] looks diverse but in reality, it is one. The diversity originates from one culture. While the entire world talks about tolerance, we talk about accepting everybody,” he said.
