Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Abstract of speech (Translated from Hindi) given by P.P.Sarsanghchalak Man. Mohanji Bhagwat on the Occasion of Shri Vijayadashami-2013 (Sunday 13th Oct.)
The Navami is celebrated all over Bharatavarsha offering worship to Goddess Sakthi and weapons. Dasami is known as the day for Seemolanghan, i.e. the day for transcending the boundary. Today these two auspicious occasions have come together. We all know that our nation is faced with intricate and challenging problems, and it is for us to wake up our latent strength and overcome these problems through our hard work. The different types of problems confronting us have been persisting for a long time now and are taking serious turns. In a democratic polity, when those who are responsible to ensure the security and progress of the nation lack the necessary competence to face up to the task and even their very intentions are questionable, it becomes incumbent upon the samaj to put in its efforts with dedication and valour to overcome the challenges. A cursory glance would suffice to convince us of the enormity of the challenges we are facing. Since every year the nature of such challenges and ways of their resolutions is being discussed in detail on this platform on similar occasions, I would rather deal with them very briefly now.
The economic condition of the nation has an instant and direct bearing on the day-to-day routine and life of the common people. Presently the common people in our country are reeling under the unbearable weight of unending price-rise. Just two years back, loud noises were being made about making our country an economic super-power of the world. But today we are in search of means to arrest the trend of fall in the value of rupee so as to tide over the imminent economic crisis; i.e. fiscal deficit, current account deficit and depleting foreign exchange reserve, and the resultant economic crisis have now become the hot topic of common discourse. Stagnating economic growth, steep rise in foreign debt in comparison to Gross Domestic Product, etc. bear ample testimony to the fact that we are taking our economy in the wrong direction. However, what is more surprising is the refusal of the government to change the course and its continuation with its rigid policies. In the field of production, policies are formulated in such a way to deny the ownership to domestic entrepreneurs and entrust means of production to foreign hands. Small-scale entrepreneurs, small-time industrialists, retail businessmen and others, who contribute the major portion of the national income, are pushed into a difficult situation by our own government, in which they are compelled to compete with foreign entrants on uneven terms. As a result, a big question mark hangs on the future prospects of the domestic entrepreneurs, the self-reliance of the nation, and entrepreneurship of the society. Job opportunities have come down. The number of people migrating from villages to cities in search of livelihood has increased, and as a result a number of problems have cropped up in cities as well as villages. Whatsoever be the artificial glitter created by the so-called ‘‘progress,’’ from the economic view, this has not at all benefitted the common people and the backward classes. Further, the situation has made life-conditions extremely difficult. Even after the exposure of the rampant corruption at the highest echelons of power, and the full play of public ire and resentment against it through the movements against corruption, the real culprits involved in such acts still roam about freely. And, instead of enacting stringent laws to curb such nefarious practices, the political leadership is bringing in laws that are intrinsically flawed and full of loop- holes.
We have seen the result of the wrong growth pattern hurriedly followed by us with hubris imitating foreign yard - stick, with an eye on votes and notes, turning a blind eye to our national tradition, life-experience of thousands of years, environment, aspirations of our common people, their needs and priorities, etc., when nature retaliated with full fury, wreaked terrible destruction and devastation in Uttaranchal recently. If only we develop an indigenous pattern of growth, based on our own genius and in sync with the present times, keeping in mind the positive and negative aspects of modern technology, current world economic systems and trends, we will be able to achieve a growth that, along with bringing its benefits even to the last man in the row, will make us self - reliant, create jobs, improve quality, and ensure equity, justice and freedom from exploitation. And we have to realise that turning our faces away from this reality would only do great harm to the health of our national life. Remaining firm in this belief we have to force the powers-that-be to take the whole system in the same direction.
Also, with the same view, it is necessary to bring about total transformation in the present educational policy that seeks to commercialize education, not only because the education under this policy is beyond the reach of the common people, but also for the reason that it is quite incapable of fostering good qualities and culture. It seems efforts are being made to invite foreign educational institutions here with an aim to bring the entire educational sector exclusively under their domain by discouraging the ongoing local efforts in this arena. Instead of making it an instrument for equipping and preparing the new generation in every way for building a prosperous nation, if the education sector is treated as a market for international business that bring financial gains, the future of the nation will be bleak and it will land in a dark abyss. However, it appears that the orientation presently given to the educational sector is incapable of imparting the necessary wisdom to realise this danger. It must be kept in mind that one of the main reasons behind the growth in atrocities against women is lack of nourishment of cultural values.
The provision to impart this culture to the new generation is available in our family system. And with this realisation, our family system is being studied and to some extent emulated all over the world. However, without understanding the significance of this system, attempts are made to turn the inter-personal relationships within the family into some sort of financial dealings, by bringing in unnecessary laws. Even if this is done with some good intentions, it is amply clear that neither any thought has been given nor any study made to assess the importance of our family system from the point of view of social security and social enterprise.
The shadow of dark clouds hovering around our national security continues to persist. China continues to test our mettle by frequent incursions across India’s borders, attempts to besiege us by increasing influence in countries in our neighborhood, and dumping their products in our markets. We, on our part, have not been showing the will or the resolve to respond to these threats with firmness and full might. On the contrary, people are not taken into confidence by giving them a complete and factual picture of such serious issues. The statements made by those in responsible positions to dilute the seriousness of such developments, whenever correct information percolates from outside, raise the question of our sensitivity and alertness related to our border security, sovereignty, etc, and that becomes a matter of concern. It has been proved time and again that Pakistan’s policy is based on its hatred for India. Knowing this very well, why we are pursuing a weak and meek policy that encourages Pakistan’s misadventure is beyond anyone’s comprehension. In the northeast, the neglect and suppression of patriotic people, and abetment and appeasement of separatist terrorist forces and infiltrators for the sake of vote bank politics is continuing unabashed. Neglect of those areas in matters of development continues as in the past. All these years, construction of border roads, development aimed at providing job opportunities for local populace, and introduction of measures to further strengthen and fortify the facilities for border patrolling, have made no satisfactory progress.
In view of the scenario created by these problems besetting our defense front, instead of taking measures to promote the interests of the people of Indian origin in Nepal, Tibet, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Myanmar and South-east Asia, and strengthening our bond of love and friendship with those countries, we see the same complacency and duplicity being displayed. In the home-front also, let alone making our defense preparedness fool-proof and self-sufficient, communication system up-to-date, and effecting quantitative increase in defense forces and uplifting their morale, deliberations are on to invite foreign investments in defense production, and one after another, incidents are taking place that adversely affect the morale of our defense forces. As a result, how inimical forces are emboldened to pose challenges to us, both within the country and on the borders through their misadventures, is amply clear from the havoc wrought both by Pakistan and China through repeated ingressions into our territory, and the incidents like attacking our military camps, as happened at Hiranagar in Jammu. The internal security situation is also very worrisome. Reports of forces propelled by foreign ideologies and receiving all sorts of help from abroad, and who mock at our constitution and legal system through violent means, joining their forces by coming together, have been coming from different parts of the country. It is the exploitation of the common people and their terrible and poor living conditions that prepare the ground for such forces, and, as such, such problems should be addressed and solved immediately. For this, the government and the administration should become more responsive and transparent and mercilessly root out violent activities. However, it seems, the government lacks the necessary will-power to change its lukewarm attitude even now.
The ordinary citizen is fed up with this situation, is angry, and wants a change. However, because of selfish motives, Indian politics enjoys bliss in the vicious circle of vote bank. In such a situation it is the majority Hindu society, traditionally living in this land from time immemorial without any precondition whatsoever that is suffering the most.
Recently shops of Hindu businessmen at Kishtwar in Jammu, where the Hindu population is a meager 15%, were attacked and ransacked by people motivated by communal hatred. Abetted and prompted by the state home minister, who was present there, and in the presence of senior police officers, the loot and destruction went on in a very systematic manner. It was only because of the quick and effective response of the patriotic people living in other parts of the Jammu region the lives of the hapless Hindus could be saved. By compensating the victims in lakhs, who sustained losses worth crores of rupees, the state government seems to be proud that it has discharged its duty. Also need was never felt to take stringent action against the perpetrators and the zealots who hatched the criminal conspiracy. Mind you, this is the very same Jammu and Kashmir state whose Chief Minister recently told a European delegations visiting the state that accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India was only conditional and not absolute merger. What he said clearly indicates the mindset of the forces active in politics there, who, while remaining in power, play all sorts of illegal deceptive tricks to banish those who are committed to India’s unity and integrity and consider the state as an integral part of India, from the whole of Jammu-Ladak-Kashmir region. The project to rehabilitate remorseful former militants desirous of returning to the valley itself is quite strange, because the safe and honorable rehabilitation of the millions of Hindus of kashmir valley, and complete re-establishment of people displaced from Pak occupied kashmir and other places because of at least four invasions of Pakistan is still pending. Now, instead of allowing the former militants to come under proper procedure through the two prefixed routes, bringing thousands of such people hurriedly in a clandestine manner through a third route, i.e. through the Nepal border, seems to be part of a plan to make the demographic imbalance more acute. In Jammu region they want to start with Doda, Kisthwar, Poonch and Rajauri. This is a conspiracy to increase the numbers of those who could be made its part, including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, and to reduce the number of patriotic people through threats and terrorists acts. The recent happenings in Kisthwar are only its part. Unfortunately, the politics played by the centre during the last decade has only strengthened the nerves of such people.
The recent happening at Mujaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh are yet another example of the crooked politics detrimental to national interests, in which, blinded by the craze for power, the national and patriotic forces were suppressed. Unilateral and one-sided atrocities committed by the lumpen elements of a particular religious community were not only ignored by the government, which was busy with the balancing act, but were also encouraged and protected. Even before the elections were conducted in the state, putting the law and constitution on the back-burner, competition was on between politicians to appease the so-called minority vote. After coming to power, at the instance of the ruling party, an I.A.S. Officer was suspended for the “offence” of discharging duties staying within the limits of power accorded by law. Whipping up an unsavoury controversy by imposing a ban on the totally peaceful and lawful Ayodhya Parikrama, the game stoking the flames of communal feelings in the cover of secularism was kick started. Such biased and anti-people policies resulted in a severe public outburst, and to control that the Government became indecisive and was totally paralysed. Even now, instead of facing the truth, efforts are made to shift the entire blame on the Hindu society and those who showed the courage to tell the truth, with the help of the section of the media. The communal, intolerant and terrorist forces behind all such atrocious acts, and the elements that hobnob with them and provide them strength, stand exposed through the gory incidents of manslaughter that took place from the mall at Nairobi to the church at Peshavar. But our politicians, blinded by their greed for power, are quite unable to see this truth, which is as bright as daylight.
Further proof of extreme selfishness prevalent in our political system has come before the public in a very conspicuous manner. Unfortunately, those who are at the helm of affairs in the government, and who have a solemn commitment to treat all citizens on an equal footing, are treating Hindus with discrimination in thoughts, words and deeds and blatantly appeasing and pampering the so called minorities. The recent missive sent by the Union Home Minister directing the state governments to go soft on the youths belonging to the so-called minority community, and the way in which killings of Hindu leaders by the fundamentalist elements in Tamilnadu were handled with total disdain and the disinterest shown in the investigation of the said cases, compel us to say that the orientation of the politics is not to unite and integrate the whole society.
The practice of heaping insults on the Hindu society continues shamelessly and because of this mindset, attempts were made to bring in a totally unlawful legislation under the name Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence bill - 2011. Provisions were made to accord reservation on communal basis. Now, the people who squandered tax-payers money on such partisan projects and corruption were eyeing the gold deposits at Hindu temples to fill the empty government coffers. The people wielding power at the centre, who view with contempt matters like the dignity of the citizens, environmental protection, security of maritime boundaries, preservation of natural valuable resources like thorium, livelihood of coastal population, etc., because of their craze for power, are hell-bent on going ahead with the Sethusamudram project, destroying the Ramasetu, throwing into the dustbin the recommendations of the very committee appointed by them.
The conditions prevalent in the nation have a direct bearing on the life of the entire population. We, who elect the political parties and leaders as our rulers, are all ordinary people. So, we have to discuss about any given situation not to get scared, but for finding the solution. Fortunately for us, a major segment of our population comprises youths who are full of vigour, conviction, and expectations and pure at heart. Hence, any genuine and united efforts will certainly bear fruit.
From this point of view, we have an immediate though temporary responsibility before us. In democracy elections may be a matter of politics for contestants but for us common citizens it is an opportunity to perform our mandatory democratic duty. Voters will have an opportunity to elect their representatives in the near future. We have a large number of new and young voters. So as to discharge our responsibility as voters, first and foremost, we have to ensure that our names properly figure in the voters list. 100 per cent polling will make democracy healthier. We have to minutely evaluate the policies of contending political parties as also the character of the candidates while exercising our franchise. We should never fall prey to any form of deceptive propaganda or stratagem; neither should we allow ourselves to be carried away by cheap emotions or narrow-minded considerations. Our voting should be based purely on issues, to the parties who follow policies that serve our national interests and to the capable candidates who have integrity. Giving up complacency, we have to actively cooperate with all efforts that are being made in this direction, as well as the electoral process and the concerned individuals.
But our duty does not end just by voting and transferring the whole responsibility on the shoulders of elected persons. Any attempt at bettering strength and reformation should invariably start with our own personal life. Augmenting our physical, mental and intellectual strength should become part of our daily routine. We have to acquire knowledge about the real history of our nation, its greatness, and its present condition from authentic and unbiased sources. And regarding the future of the nation, we have to emulate the thoughts of great men of sacrifice and selflessness, and have to imitate the way they discharged their duties, which is nothing but practical guidance for us. Let us make a solemn resolve that we would earn fame and success by increasing our efficiency through strenuous efforts and use them not to serve personal selfish ends, but for the benefit of society, humanitarianism and service. On this sacred day, let us take a solemn pledge to transcend all narrow personal limitations and to heartily worship God in the form of our Rashtra, dedicating everything to it. And let us also make a commitment to wisely participate in all activities for the good of society and work with others without any selfish motive.
Even as the Government and administration have a responsibility to maintain the rule of law, society has an equal responsibility to be emphatic about voluntarily observing the law in day to day life. And from here starts the flow of corruption free pure and serene social life. In a democratic set up, the right to agitate staying within the framework of the constitution is the prerogative and means of the people to demand repeal of unjust and misconceived laws. And, at the same time, the people also have their own civic duties to discharge and the responsibility to abide by the laws of the land. And it is for every one of us to start with our own lives and set a perfect example in such matters.
According to Indian view, family, the smallest unit of our social system, is, in fact, the microcosmic form of the society. So whatever reforms we aim at should begin with bringing about the required changes in the behaviour and climate in our own family. Simplicity, truthfulness, purity, sanctity, love, etc. should be discernible in our family life. We have to ensure that women in our family are socially enlightened and active. In matters like conservation of water, electricity and other means of energy, environmental security, swadeshi habit, and treating those who come into contact with our family for various reasons with love, affection, respect and equity, etc, our family should be a perfect example. Everyone in the family should be free of feeling of high and low of birth, bad manners, superposition; and free of any discrimination in the name of caste, religion, political ideology, language, province, and their thoughts, acts and behaviour should be harmonious and egoless. Remaining sensitive to and actively sharing the happiness and sorrow of neighbours, our family should be an exemplar in social behaviour.
By actively addressing the social aspects, can’t we put an end to this centuries old evil of heresy, hypocrisy and discrimination? Can’t we throw open our centers of worship, sources of water, and crematoriums to all Hindus so as to enable Hindus to make a new beginning of harmonious life? This is the only means to bring the whole society on the side of Sad-dharma and good deeds, and string them together with the thread of ‘Bharat Bhakthi’. Also, there is no other way to bring about necessary changes in the policies and system of the nation and to keep it healthy. To provide living examples of such lofty behaviour in every village, colony, lane and by-lane is the only means to accelerate the process of social change.
It goes without saying that in all matters and discharging of responsibilities dealt with above, the Swayamsevaks should be naturally there before the society as the role-model. Because it is with the aim of bringing the society to an active, harmonious and organised state Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has been striving for the last 88 years.
Swami Vivekananda, whose 150th birth anniversary celebrations are coming to an end shortly, had also envisaged the very same means to rejuvenate our nation. He has made it clear to the society that only through the youths, who are ready to renounce everything for the service of the nation and become perfect examples themselves by attaining pure character, selfless mind and discrimination, with body as strong as a Vajra and an heart infused with indomitable enthusiasm and love, to consecrate our sacred Bharatmata on the throne of Vishva Guru.
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