Synopsis
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat clarified that his remarks on retirement age were misinterpreted, emphasizing the BJP’s autonomy in choosing its leader. He positioned the RSS as an inclusive organization promoting harmony. Bhagwat addressed diverse topics, including temple disputes, population policy, language, caste, and illegal immigration, advocating for constitutional reservations and societal efforts to curb infiltration.
PTIRSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday sought to put to rest speculations about him suggesting 75 years as the retirement age, as both he and prime minister Narendra Modi are touching this age mark next month, while asserting that it is for the BJP to decide its next chief.
In his three-day lectures series as part of the Sangh’s centenary celebrations, Bhagwat projected RSS as an “inclusive organisation” with harmony as an essential part of its ideology and practice. Bhagwat responded to questions ranging from Manusmriti to Artificial Intelligence, tariffs, caste, education, patriotism, national language, partition, illegal immigration, attacks on Muslims to the age of retirement for politicians. Excerpts:
BJP CHIEF AND RSS
Bhagwat reiterated that BJP is an independent entity. In an apparent reference to the next party president, he said: “If we were deciding (the BJP president), we would not have taken so long. Anyway, take your time.”
RETIREMENT AGE AT 75
On the buzz around his remarks about 75 being the retirement age, Bhagwat said he never said, “I would, or someone (who is in a constitutional) post should retire at 75 years.”
KASHI, MATHURA TEMPLE DISPUTES
On calls for running Ayodhya-like movements for the Kashi and Mathura temples, Bhagwat said the Ram Temple was the only movement RSS got involved in. “Kashi, Mathura and Ayodhya are important to Hindus and, if they request, our workers can join their movements, but the Sangh will not”.
THREE CHILDREN
Bhagwat reiterated that every Indian family should have three children. “To keep a civilisation alive, India’s population policy suggests 2.1 (average number of children), which basically means three children. But resources have to be managed too, so we must restrict it to three,” he said.
LANGUAGE
Bhagwat batted for an Indian language as the link language for all Indians while asserting that citizens should know at least three languages, including their mother tongue, their state’s language and a link language for the entire country that cannot be a foreign one. He made it clear that RSS is not against English or any other language and that people should be free to learn as many languages as they can.
CASTE AND RESERVATION
Bhagwat said RSS fully supports constitutionally-mandated reservation policies and will support them. On the caste system, he said whatever is outdated is bound to go.
CONVERSION, ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
He termed conversion and illegal migration as the key reasons behind the demographic imbalance in the country. He said the government was trying to curb infiltration but society also needs to do its part. He said jobs should not go to illegal migrants but to “our own people, including Muslims”.