By Karan Anand
On the occasion of Vijaya Dashami, RSS chief, Mohan Bhagwat, gave his annual speech at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur. Bhagwat’s speech had nothing new and just reiterated the general views of his organisation (RSS) and the party affiliated to it (BJP). However, there was a slight shift; along with praising the government as always, he also cautioned them on several occasions.
Rohingyas—a threat to the nation?
Bhagwat warned the country against asylum to Rohingya refugees. He said, “The Rohingyas are being driven out of Myanmar mainly due to their continuous violent and criminal separatist activities and linkages with the terrorist groups. Any decision regarding them should be taken by keeping in mind that they will definitely be a threat to national security and integrity.” With these words, Bhagwat joined other RSS-BJP members, including Rajnath Singh and Yogi Adityanath, in linking the Rohingya refugees with terrorists and calling them a threat to the national security.
Cows beyond religions, not borders
While ignoring to comment on cow vigilantes, Bhagwat emphasised that cow protection is more than just religion. He urged people to “look at the issue of cow protection beyond religion”, and went on to point that many Muslims are also involved in it. He also said, “Many activists who were peacefully involved in cow protection were attacked and killed. This issue is neither discussed nor being inquired”. He also raised the issue of cross-border smuggling of cows, and was heard saying that an issue like this “continues to be the matter of concern”.
Praises and cautions for the government
He praised PM Modi for his “courageous and restraintful” handling of the Doklam standoff. His words were, “In response to the activities of Pakistan on the Western front and that of China on the Northern front, Bharat’s strong and determined stand has been visible in incidents like Doklam, on the borders as well as in international diplomacy”.
In a notable shift in his speech from the last three times, Bhagwat also cautioned the government apart from just praising it. He stressed that the government must focus on implementing its “well-intentioned” schemes. He also asked it to not allow the informal sectors like agriculture and small industries to suffer. At the same time, Bhagwat was careful enough to not blame demonetisation for any hardship suffered by the sectors. Though he did not criticise the government directly, he asked for “a careful check on the sensitivity and efficiency of administration”.
Assimilating Kashmiris
The RSS leader also hinted at taking away the special status given to the state of Jammu & Kashmir. An unusual thing was that he talked about creating “affinity” in the minds of the Kashmiris regarding the country. He added, “For creating equal democratic rights and fulfilling democratic duties, Constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed. Then and then only, the residents of Jammu & Kashmir can be completely assimilated with the rest of Bharat, and their equal cooperation and share will be possible in the national progress”. He also drew attention to the fact that the process of rehabilitating Kashmiri Pandits is still incomplete.
The economic predicament
Talking about the economy, Bhagwat said that it has progressed well over the last three years. As expected, he called GDP a “faulty” parameter to measure the economic progress of a country. Yet he accepted that the country will have to continue using it to remain aligned with the global economy.
Again talking about the small-scale industries, he said, “Employment means work for every hand and enough remuneration. On these parameters, the biggest contribution is made by small, medium and handicraft industries, retail or small self-employed businesses, cooperative sector, and agro and agro-allied sectors. Crores get employment in these, and most of the people standing in the last line of the society are also from these sectors“. He added, “Although some tremors and instability is expected, it should be kept in mind that these sectors should feel the minimum heat and ultimately they should get the maximum strength“.
Featured Image Source:: vishal dutta photo’s via Visual hunt / CC BY
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