On the second day of his four-day Dehradun visit, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat held meets with retired bureaucrats including former chief secretaries and educationalists on Wednesday. He said on the occasion that instead of relying solely on media reports and books, one should come and experience the Sangh firsthand to know about it correctly.
On Wednesday morning, a small group of retired senior bureaucrats visited the RSS office here to interact with Bhagwat. He informed them about the life and beliefs of RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar. Speaking about the background, history and formation of the RSS, he also informed them about the ideology of the Sangh.
He requested all to visit RSS camps where they will be able to get authentic information about the organisation from close quarters. Citing the example of former president of India, Pranab Mukherjee, he said that the opinions of many experienced people had changed after they observed the RSS from close. There are many prominent personalities who earlier opposed the Sangh but are now supporters after knowing better. Speaking on the subject of Hindu nationalism, he said that there is no discrimination between the vision of Hindu and the Sangh. “Ours is the language of peace and we want to strengthen society. There may be differences in our way of worship but our ancestors and culture are one. We should all work together for nation building,” he said.
Bhagwat also said that every Indian should support construction of Ram temple at the lord’s birthplace. He also said that there should be no cow slaughter. Stating that the Sangh is also working with forest dwellers, he stressed on the need for doing more. Expressing concern at the entry of external elements, he said that Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and other social organisations are working on this issue. Referring to works being undertaken in naxalism affected areas, the RSS chief said that expanding such constructive works and raising public awareness is the aim of the Sangh. He also interacted with principals of more than a dozen schools, stressing on making education creative.
