Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said an entire community could not be blamed for the acts of a few done out of fear and anger. He appealed to leaders of communities to exhort their members not to be part of such acts.
Mr. Bhagwat said the crisis arising out of the spread of the novel coronavirus should be taken as an opportunity to build a new India that would lead the world.
“Both sides should stay away from fear and anger. Those who lead the respective communities must save their communities from it. They should teach their communities that we must not be part of any act that takes place out of fear or anger,” he said in an address to RSS workers through social media.
Mr. Bhagwat said that when such a precaution was not taken, two saints were killed in Maharashtra. “Keep the debate over it aside. But should that act been allowed? Should law and order be taken in own hands? What should the police do when such an act takes place?” he asked, saying two innocent followers of a religion were lynched. “The Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha has given a call that homage be paid to them on April 28, and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has also announced a programme. We will all follow it. I pay my tributes to them,” he said.
Earlier, he said the RSS decided in March itself to postpone all its programmes till June-end. “But someone might feel that the government is obstructing their programmes. There is no dearth of people who ignite a fire. It leads to anger and losing sense, resulting in an extremist act. We know that there are forces that want to benefit from it. It is one of the reasons for the manner in which the novel coronavirus has spread in India,” Mr. Bhagwat said.
He added that even if someone committed any act out of fear or anger, the entire community could not be blamed for it. “People with faults are everywhere. Ordinary people must realise that their position should be of co-operation and not of opposition. There are people who use doubts to spread fear and anger. They are playing games. For selfish reasons, many with thoughts like ‘Bharat tere tukde honge’ work towards this,” he said.
“We have to stay out of it. We cannot be reactionary out of vengeance or enmity. We must keep in mind that the 130 crore people of India are our brothers and sons of Bharat Mata,” he said.
Mr. Bhagwat said the crisis stemming out of the novel coronavirus should be converted into an opportunity to create a new India that would lead the world. “Not only the government but also society should participate [in the process]. We will use what is manufactured here. We will buy foreign-made essentials on our own terms. We will have to use swadeshi [products],” he said. “We have to encourage swadeshi businesses,” he said. “Businessmen, manufacturers, labourers must measure up to the standard. We must not depend on foreigners,” he said, adding that organic farming and cow-husbandary should be studied and followed by changing the chemical-based life-style.
