Mohan Bhagwat, the leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), stated on Wednesday that since discrimination still exists in our society, reservations should be maintained.
Speaking at a gathering in Nagpur, he added that since those who left India in 1947 are now regretting their decision, “Akhand Bharat,” or a united India, will come to pass before today’s youth reach old age.
In addition, Mr. Bhagwat’s remarks on reservations were made at a time when the Maratha community’s movement for a quota was once again stepping up.
“We left our own fellow humans behind in the social system. For 2000 years, we neglected them because we didn’t care about them. Reservations are one of the specific remedies that must exist as we work towards achieving their equality. So long as there is discrimination, reservations must be in place. The concerns outlined in the Constitution have our full support here at the RSS, he declared.
Despite the fact that we might not notice it, discrimination does exist in society, he said.
The RSS chief added that reservations are about “giving respect” rather than just establishing economic or political equality.
He continued, “Why can’t we (those who did not experience discrimination) accept some trouble for 200 more years if the sections of society that suffered from discrimination suffered for 2000 years?”
When a student asked Mohan Bhagwat for an estimate of when the Akhand Bharat will be established, he replied that he was unable to provide one.
“However, if you continue to work towards it, you will see it come to pass before you reach old age. Since the circumstances are starting to make people who cut ties with India feel as though they were mistaken. They believe that we ought to have returned to being India. They assume that for becoming India they need to erase the lines on the map. But this is untrue. Being Indian means recognising India’s nature (“swabhav”), according to the RSS chairman.
In response to a query on allegations that the RSS did not raise the national flag at its headquarters in this city’s Mahal neighbourhood between 1950 and 2002, Bhagwat stated, “Every year on 15 August and January 26, we hoist the national flag, wherever we are. Our campuses in Mahal and Reshimbagh, both in Nagpur, both hoist the national anthem. This is not a question that should be posed to us. He then recounted a time in 1933 when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru raised the national flag atop an 80-foot pole at the Congress’ Tejpur convention close to Jalgaon.
In front of a gathering of roughly 10,000 people, the flag became caught in the middle, but a young man stepped up, climbed the pole, and freed it, he added.
Mr. Bhagwat asserted that Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had requested the youth’s attendance at the convention the following day for felicitation, but it never occurred since the youth allegedly attended an RSS “shakha” (daily assembly), as some persons had informed Pandit Nehru.
The young man’s home was visited by (RSS founder) Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, who was pleased with him after visiting, according to the RSS chairman.
He said, “His name was Kishan Singh Rajput.”
Since the first time it encountered a challenge, the RSS has been linked to the honour of the national flag. On these two dates (August 15 and January 26), we hoist the national flag as well. However, whether it is flown or not, our swayamsevak (RSS volunteer) has been at the vanguard and prepared to lose his life to uphold the honour of the national flag, Mr. Bhagwat remarked.
