RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat cautions against disrespecting faiths and icons

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday stressed upon India's social unity amid its cultural diversity, saying everyone has their own beliefs, icons and places of worship and one should be careful not to disrespect them.

In his annual Vijayadashmi address in Nagpur, which also marked the organisation's centenary this year, Bhagwat called for adopting swadeshi to become self-reliant. He also cited the unrest in some neighbouring nations, suggesting the government should not be disconnected from people.

Bhagwat began his more than 40-minute-long address with a salutation to the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, and concluded with a poem in Bengali. This year marks the 350th anniversary of Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom.

With former president Ram Nath Kovind, who hails from the Scheduled Caste community, in attendance, the community's icon, BR Ambedkar, featured prominently in Bhagwat's speech, which is being seen as a vision statement for the Sangh workers and the entire Sangh family.

Don't get provoked
In the backdrop of recent 'I love Muhammad' marches, Bhagwat underlined that social unity is an important factor in any nation's progress. Hailing India's diversity, he said we should be careful not to disrespect other's beliefs, icons and places of worship and "demonstrate harmonious behaviour".

He said taking the law into one's hands and coming out on the streets or engaging in hooliganism and violence is not correct. He also said a show of strength is deliberately done to provoke a particular community and one should not fall in such a trap as its consequences are evil, both in the short and long term. It is necessary to curb such tendencies, he asserted.

Tariff & new economic model
Bhagwat said there is no substitute for swadeshi and swavalamban (self-reliance) and called for a new economic system which is not based only on consumerism and materialism.

He said the prevailing economic model has flaws-a widening gap between rich and poor, degradation of the environment and the rise of transactionalism and inhumanity, instead of genuine interpersonal relationships.

He cited tariff policy adopted by the US as an example solely based on self-interest and asserted that the world operates through mutual interdependence.

Turmoil in neighbouring nations
Talking about recent unrest in Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, he said the regime change through violent outbursts is a concern for India.

Bhagwat suggested that the natural and immediate causes for such discontent "are the disconnect between the government and society, and the lack of public-oriented administrators".