Ashish Ranjan
Sunday, during a ceremony commemorating the 647th birth anniversary of Saint Shiromani Rohidas,The chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS),Mohan Bhagwat stated: “No matter the name, ability, or honour of a person, everyone is the same and there are no disparities.”
The news agency He was quoted by ANI as adding, “What certain pandits assert based on shaastras is false. Caste superiority is deceiving, and this illusion must be dispelled.”
Mohan Bhagwat has been involved in discussions on caste in the past and has received criticism from the opposition, which has often challenged the RSS’s position on caste.
In October 2022, while speaking at the launch of a book in Nagpur, Bhagwat stated that “varna” and “jaati” (caste) should be removed entirely and that “the caste system has no relevance now. Everything that creates discrimination must be eradicated, declared the leader of the RSS.
At the time, NCP leader Sharad Pawar stated, “It’s a wonderful thing that people responsible for such prejudice realise it must be eliminated.”
Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramiah stated in August of the same year that he had opposed the RSS from the outset since it is merely an association of higher castes.
The previous month, when speaking to a gathering of religious leaders from Dalit and backward-class communities in Karnataka, Bhagwat stated that “efforts must be made to avoid religious conversions because they uproot individuals from their roots.”
According to the RSS-affiliated website ‘Samvada’, which cited his lecture, he continued by stating, “The primary problems of Hindu society, like as untouchability, disparities, and inequity, exist primarily in the mind. These issues do not exist in the Bible… These issues have been on our minds for many generations, and their resolution will also require time. We must gradually eliminate them from our minds.”
At a symposium on “Nationalism and Ethical Practices in Business” held at the Bombay Stock Exchange in January 2018, Bhagwat stated, “The ethical practises of the society are mirrored in the country’s politics. For instance, I am obligated to employ caste politics because the community votes based on caste. Only if I remain in power can I alter the system. Therefore, if the society changes, the country’s politics will likewise change, and not the other way around.”
In September 2015, Bhagwat’s proposal to reform the reservation policy was met with considerable opposition. He made these remarks during the Patel quota uprising in Gujarat.
In an interview with RSS mouthpieces ‘Organiser’ and ‘Panchjanya,’ Mohan Bhagwat stated, “We must take a holistic approach to the welfare of all. It is prudent to recognise that my interests are subordinate to a wider interest. Government must also be responsive to these concerns in order to prevent agitation for them.” He then suggested that “a committee of persons truly concerned for the benefit of the entire nation and committed to social equality, including some representatives from the society, should determine which categories require reservation and for how long.”
In addition, he contended that the policy of reservations based on socioeconomic backwardness is inconsistent with what the Constitution’s framers intended.
The RSS released a statement claiming “it fully supports the existing reservation policy enshrined in the Constitution” and that the words were “distorted by critics in order to create uncertainty about the organization’s position on the matter.” Additionally, the BJP underlined that it “fully respected the reservation rights of SCs, STs, and other backward castes.”
In response to Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks, RJD president Lalu Prasad stated in an interview with PTI that there was a “pattern” to Bhagwat’s statements, adding, “This is the RSS’s original thought process. Their mindset is hostile towards SC/ST and OBC. What was their innermost essence emerged.”
Later, in August 2019, Bhagwat referred to a “discussion in a cordial atmosphere between supporters and opponents of reservation.” In addition, he addressed his past views and stated that his stance on reservations had “made a great deal of noise and deflected the focus from the genuine issue.”
He said, “Those who support reservation should consider the interests of those who oppose it, and those who oppose reservation should do the opposite…
On a regular basis, discussions on reservations result in sharp actions and reactions, whereas there is a need for harmony among the many sectors of society regarding this approach.
Also Read:- AAP to move Supreme Court after MCD House adjourned without electing mayor
Again, this provoked a great deal of outrage in Bihar. State opposition representatives from the RJD, Congress, HAM, RLSP, and the Left attacked the BJP and the RSS. RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav lashed out at Bhagwat’s remarks, stating that “discussion and dialogue” should be done on “why 80% of central government jobs under the reservation quota are vacant and why there is not a single secretary-level officer from the OBC and EBC communities.” And why isn’t there a vice-chancellor from the Scheduled Caste/Tribe category?”
