RSS chief urges Hindus to look beyond caste, wealth or language

Emphasising the need for social harmony among Hindus, the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Wednesday that people should not be judged by caste, wealth or language.

Addressing a Hindu Sammelan at Sonpairi village in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, he said India belonged to everyone, and the Hindu community should get rid of separation and distinction and provide equal access to all its members. Such congregations are being held across the country to mark the centenary year of the RSS.

“We consider all Hindus to be the same, but the world sees divisions: caste, creed, language, province… We should not look at caste, creed, how much a person earns, or what language they speak — everyone is ours. All Indians are ours, the whole of India is ours,” he said.

Mr. Bhagwat said that temples, water bodies and cremation grounds should be open to all Hindus. “If you can do this by convincing others, then do it, because this is an effort to unite; there is no conflict in it,” he said.

Family values

The RSS chief spoke on a variety of subjects, including family values, addiction, and global warming. He remarked that the RSS now has a vast geographical footprint across the country.

He underlined the concept of kutumb prabodhan, stating that individuals must reflect on the time and resources they devote daily to society.

He stressed the need to revive family interactions and called on families to spend at least one day a week together, pray according to faith, eat home-cooked food together, and hold meaningful discussions, or mangal samvad.

“People often fall into bad habits when they feel lonely. Regular interaction and dialogue within families can help prevent this,” he said.

Conservation

He urged people to begin conservation efforts from their homes by saving water, adopting rainwater harvesting, cutting back on single-use plastic, and planting more trees.

He also advocated use of one’s mother tongue at home, respect for Indian attire, promotion of swadeshi and self-reliance by buying local products, except where imports such as medicines are unavoidable.

He called for strict adherence to the Constitution, laws and civic discipline.