Interaction with SarsanghChalak Param Pujaneeya Sri Mohanji Bhagawa

 


 
Q.: When you became the Sar Sangha Chalak you visited Dhiksha Bhumi.
 A.: It is only natural thing. Dr. Ambedkar had visited RSS camp and had
 appreciated the absence of even trace of caste feelings among Swayam
 Sevaks. When Dr. Ambedkar converted to Buddhism Guruji remembered what
 Swami Vivekananda said about the nation needing the intellectual acumen
 of Sankara and the compassionate heart of Buddha. And it was an RSS man
 Dattopant Thengadi (the founder of Sangh workers' union BMS) who was the
 election agent of Baba Saheb Ambedkar.
 
Q.: But there are people who see Ambedkar as enemy of Hinduism.
 A.: See.Dr. Ambedkar knew the good intentions of Sangh Hindus. But he
 also knew that at that time Hindus at large had not had change of heart
 with respect to Dalits. He knew that though Sangh wanted and would
 eventually achieve a Hindu society free of casteism, Sangh at that time,
 had neither the strength nor the authority to bring that change at once.
 He thought Dalits should not endure injustice till such a change would
 eventually come. So he converted. But he converted to Buddhism which is
 rooted in the Indian soil and which he considered as an inalienable part
 of Hindu culture. He also wanted to make sure that the depressed
 sections of the society were not lured away by failed alien ideologies
 like Marxism. In fact Ambedkar told Dattopant Thengadiji that he stands
 as the bulwark between Dalits and Marxism just as Guruji stands as
 bulwark between Marxism and non-Dalits. (Of course we consider Guruji
 not as representing any sectarian section of Hindu society but his heart
 and vision encompassed entire Hindu society including Dalits and
 non-Dalits.)
 
Q.: India Today reported that you eulogize Gandhiji in your addresses.
 A.: Oh.That should not be a surprise. Surely I did not discover Gandhiji
 in Sangh. Guruji has a whole lecture praising Mahatma. And the name of
 Mahatma Gandhi has entered the morning prayer of RSS long before I even
 became Prantha Pracharak. Gandhian vision of village development,
 Swadeshi, cow protection etc is harmonious with Sangh vision and
 mission. So if anyone is surprised because I mentioned Mahatma that
 surprise shows their ignorance of Sangh philosophy and history.
 
Q.: There are people who pit Ambedkar against Gandhi. How do you
 reconcile both?
 A.: All great leaders might have differences. But all of them valued
 society's welfare and nation's welfare. If we approach them in the same
 spirit, we can find harmonizing elements in them and learn from them in
 our own service to nation building. That has always been the approach of
 Sangh.
 
Q.: In Tamil Nadu there has been a strong movement to wean away Dalits
 from the national mainstream and Hindu culture. Does Sangh have any
 programme to counter this?
 A.: From the time of Meenakshipuram conversion, Sangh has paid special
 attention to Dalit problems in Tamil Nadu. There are many villages where
 untouchability has disappeared after Shakas appeared. In fact two
 villages which have been awarded Tamil Nadu government award for
 eradication of caste discrimination, are villages where Swayamsevaks
 have brought social harmony. In places where Dalits and non-Dalits have
 clashed Swayam Sevaks have been invited by both as peace makers. In
 Kerala also Sangh has worked dynamically for Dalit emancipation for
 example even at the famous Guruvayoor temple. Sangh has a clear vision
 that at every village access to water resources, living space, places of
 worship, hygienic conditions and cremation grounds should be common for
 all Hindus. In fact the numerical strength of Sangh activity and the
 disappearance of caste discrimination are directly proportional.
 
Q.: You have always stressed about Hindu-ness. Whom do you define as
 Hindus? Are religious minorities Hindus or non-Hindus?
 A.: All Indians who consider this land as their ancestral and sacred
 land are Hindus irrespective of their ways of worship. All Indians who
 follow the Dharmic values and Samskrti which this land has cherished are
 Hindus. Those who have alienated themselves as religious minorities
 should realize this truth for this is the truth about their own true
 self-identity. They are not the descendants of Babur or David but they
 are the descendants of Rama and Krishna and Bharatha. All those who
 fulfill these three conditions together are Hindus in Rastreeya sense.
 
Q.: What is Sangh view on environmental problems and sustainable
 development particularly in the light of threats like Global warming?
 A.: Our the Dharmic values and Samskrti as well as our way of life are
 always eco-friendly. We venerate nature. For us all nature is imbued
 with Divinity. Cow protection has been part of it. An enlightened
 environmental policy has to be scientific. For that we need models based
 on experiments. Sangh and Sangh-related organizations are conducting
 such experiments throughout India. Also we should remember that a nation
 like Bharath has diverse eco-zones and we cannot have a single model and
 the regional environmental models have to be based on localized
 experiments. As I said there are many experiments like for example at
 Chitrakoot and in many villages in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala.
 They will give us inputs to develop localized models for environmental
 policies which in turn will help us develop frame an enlightened and
 scientific policy for environmental problems and sustainable
 development.
 
Q.: With respect to science and spirituality India has an unique
 position among world civilizations. What is Sangh view with respect to
 science, Indian culture and world future?
 A.: For Hindus Science and Spirituality are not opposed. They are two
 sides of the same coin. Upanishad says that those who pursue only
 physical sciences (without the knowledge of inner sciences) fall into
 darkness. But those who pursue only inner sciences ignoring physical
 sciences fall into even greater darkness. For those who seek only
 liberation (Moksha) and not Artha (Economic welfare) and Kama (worldly
 pleasures) perhaps inner sciences alone may suffice. But for those who
 live in society, for them also Moksha is the goal but they also seek
 Artha and gratify Kama and in doing this the regulating principle is
 Dharma. This integral approach to life has made Hindu society approach
 science and technology in a holistic manner. In fact Dharmic values and
 Samskrti of Hindus never had problems with science (unlike the western
 society). However this is the theory. This is the principle that we have
 in our Sastras. The world will have to accept this approach to life. But
 that will happen and that can happen only when we produce large number
 of scientists who shall contribute to the improvement of welfare of
 humanity. World will listen only to those who have strength. So Hindus
 have to become strong if Mother Bharathi's voice has to be respected and
 if Her vision has to be accepted by the world community. Working towards
 that is the duty of every one of us.
 


 
-- 
Rajendra Kumar Chadha
 National Joint Convener
 Prajna Pravah
 A - 161 SURAJ MAL VIHAR
 DELHI110092
 011-22374518 M +919818603977
 rchaddha@gmail.com
 prajnapravah@gmail.com

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