Mysuru (Karnataka), May 7: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said population control policies and the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code required public cooperation and long-term thinking, and asserted that caste-based politics would disappear only when society stopped identifying with caste divisions.
Addressing an interaction session after delivering a lecture on “Social Harmony as a Catalyst for National Development” at JSS Mahavidyapeetha here, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief also called for harmony among religions and communities. He urged people to practise equality in social life through conduct rather than slogans.
“Because society remembers caste, politicians take advantage of it. Their legitimate aim is to get votes. If they cannot get votes through work, they will get votes through caste,” he said.
Replying to a question on the Population Control Bill and Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Bhagwat said the RSS was not the government but a social organisation and emphasised that laws could succeed only with public participation.
“People must first be educated. Policy is necessary, but policy can only succeed with public cooperation,” he said.
Referring to population control measures during the Emergency period, Bhagwat said aggressive enforcement had led to public resentment and political backlash.
Regarding population control, there was once a government that aggressively tried to control population during the Emergency, especially in north India. People were forcibly dragged for sterilisation operations. That government was completely defeated afterwards, he said.
Demographic imbalance, women’s education, empowerment and health should all be considered before formulating future population policies.
“Once a policy is decided and people are educated about it, it should apply equally to everyone without exception,” he said.
On the UCC, Bhagwat said some states had already moved ahead with it. Uttarakhand has already brought such a law and a few other states have introduced similar measures.
“So state by state it is progressing. Perhaps one day it may come across India. Be patient. In democracy, everything happens slowly because no one person decides–142 crore people decide,” he added.
Speaking on caste divisions, Bhagwat said society itself had to change before politics could change.
He stressed that society must forget caste and then only politics will correct itself.
“Do not merely tell people to forget caste. Otherwise they will remember caste in the process of trying to forget it. Instead, behave as though caste does not exist,” he said.
Bhagwat advocated inter-caste social relations and marriages. In this context, he referred to a 1942 inter-caste marriage in Maharashtra.
“The first inter-caste marriage in Maharashtra happened in 1942. Two prominent people sent messages of blessing — B R Ambedkar and M S Golwalkar (second RSS chief),” he said.
On religious harmony, Bhagwat said all religions ultimately aimed at truth despite differences in practices and traditions.
“Communities, religions — we have to have it. It is not a question of ‘can we’. Because all religions try to take us to truth,” he said.
Quoting a Sanskrit verse, the RSS head said different paths ultimately reached the same destination just as rivers merged into the ocean.
“So creating religions and quarrelling is not what is desired. Religions should realise that the destination is one and there should be coordination and cooperation. That is a must for humanity to survive. There is no choice,” he said.
Bhagwat also said marriage should be viewed as a social responsibility rather than personal bondage.
“Marriage is a partnership, not slavery. Husband and wife are equally responsible partners creating responsible social citizens,” he said.
On Hindu traditions and conduct, Bhagwat said rituals and sects may differ but behaviour rooted in Dharma remained central.
Underlining that ‘Dharma’ arises from conduct, he said values such as restraint, discipline and ethical conduct formed its essence.
He also asserted that Hindu society should preserve its traditions through exemplary conduct. “Every Hindu may have his own tradition and rituals, but through them he must attain this behaviour.”
Bhagwat said India repeatedly lost its freedom because of internal divisions and stressed that fraternity and emotional integration rooted in the feeling of oneness were essential for national development and social harmony.
Indian civilisation viewed society and nation differently from the West and was founded on the principle of universal oneness.
“Our history shows that because of our internal divisions, we repeatedly lost our freedom. Ambedkar warned that if we continue quarrelling like this, our freedom cannot be protected. The Constitution also asks us to promote emotional integration. What is that emotion? The feeling that we are one.”
The western concept of society was based on contracts and mutual benefit, whereas the Indian concept of ‘Samaaj’ (society-community) emerged from people living together over generations with a shared purpose and emotional bond.
“A society in the Western sense is a grouping of people who live together and help each other so that everybody benefits,” he said.
Contrasting the two approaches, Bhagwat said, “That kind of contract is not there in our society.” Quoting Swami Vivekananda, he said, “Every nation has a message to deliver. “Every nation has a mission to attempt. Every nation has a destiny to fulfil.”
Bhagwat said the Indian idea of nationhood was rooted in the bond between the people and the land rather than merely the state.
