Bharat’s journey from ‘swadheehnta to swatantrata’ is yet far from complete: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at annual Dussehra address | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday said that the country’s journey from ‘swadheehnta to swatantrata’ is as yet far from complete as there are elements in the world for whom India’s progress and its rise to a respected position are detrimental to their vested interests.
In his annual Vijaya Dashami address, Bhagwat further said that if the religion that envisions a world based on the Sanatan value-system prevails in India then the foul play of those “selfish forces” will automatically be neutralised.
The Vijaya Dashami address of the RSS chief is considered the most important event for the organisation as it is during his address future plans and vision are put forth for all to follow.
It is from this stage that RSS stand on many issues of national importance is known.

Here are the key points from his address-
* We don’t want a culture that widens the divide, but the one that binds the nation together and promotes love … Therefore, special occasions like birth anniversaries, festivals should be celebrated together.
* This year marks the 75th year of our freedom from foreign rule. 15th August ’47 marked the starting point of our journey from Swadheenata (independence/Self-rule) to Swa-tantrata (Self Model of governance).
* When comparing and contrasting the present scenario with this ideal of independent Bharat one realises, our journey from Swadheehnta (independence/ Self-rule) to Swatantrata (self-model of governance) is as yet far from complete. There are elements in the world for whom Bharat’s progress and its rise to a respected position are detrimental to their vested interests.
* Several freedom fighters belonging to distinct castes, communities & from different regions made noble sacrifices & penances for freedom. The society too, alongside these brave souls, bore the sting of slavery as one unified unit.
* This year marks 150th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo.He wrote extensively on building Bharat based on our “Swa”. This is also the centenary year of Sri Dharampal. He took the cue from Gandhiji & worked to present evidence of history of Bharat before British.
* If the Dharma that envisions a world based on Sanatan value-system prevails in Bharat then the foul play of selfish forces will automatically be neutralised.
* This wisdom alone will be the remedy to the challenges of multifarious attacks over the Bharatiya value system that are diluting our faith and promoting recklessness
On Covid-19 and healthcare facilities-
* In the backdrop of the pandemic, online education was introduced. School-going children are now hooked on mobile phones as a rule. The government must make efforts to create a content regulatory framework for O.T.T. platforms.
* The 2nd wave of Covid-19 was far more destructive than the 1st. It didn’t spare even youngsters. Efforts of the citizens who are selflessly dedicated in the service of humankind despite serious health hazards posed by the pandemic are praiseworthy.
* Due to all round efforts, there is a renewed confidence and the awakening of our ‘selfhood’ in our society also. The contribution drive for Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Temple witnessed an overwhelming and devotional response which is a testimony to this awakening.
* It would be wise to learn from our experiences of the pandemic and endeavour to adopt a nature-friendly lifestyle as a way to prevent wasteful expenditure and frills even when all is normal again.
* Covid pandemic has reinforced the usefulness of our traditional knowledge systems & the vision emanating from ‘selfhood’. We experienced the efficacy of our traditional lifestyle practices & Ayurvedic medicinal system in fighting and tackling the coronavirus.
* In the geographically vast and densely populated country of ours, we will need to reimagine healthcare which is not just from a preventive but also from a wellness point of view, as illuminated by the science of Ayurveda.
* Rising above the conflict for supremacy of one method of medicine over another, rational use of all treatment modalities can ensure affordable, accessible, and effective treatment for all.
Economy and population-
* Clandestine, uncontrolled currency like Bitcoin has the potential to destabilise the economy of all countries and pose serious challenges.
* Bharatiya economic paradigm emphasises control over consumption. The human being is a mere trustee of the material resources, not the possessor.
* While reimagining the country’s development one predicament comes to the fore which appears to concern many viz. the population. A population policy that is applicable to all groups is therefore imperative.
* Population policy should be considered once again, the policy should be made for the next 50 years, and it should be implemented equally, population imbalance has become a problem.
* A resolution was passed on this issue during the Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal (All India Executive Committee) meeting of Sangh held at Ranchi in the year 2015 on the Challenge of Imbalance in the Population Growth Rate.
* The human is a mere trustee. It is deeply rooted in our belief system that human being is but a part of the creation and while it is his right to reap the resources that nature offers for his sustenance, it is also his responsibility to protect and preserve it.
On Hindus being exploited-
* Terrorists in J&K have restarted the spate of targeted killings of national-minded citizens esp Hindus – to destroy their morale and reestablish the reign of terror in the valley. Efforts for curbing and finishing off the terrorist activities needs speeding up.
* The injustices such as the exclusive appropriation of Hindu religious sites for decades and centuries, handing over of the operations to the non-devotees/irreligious, unethical heretics despite the State being ‘secular’ must be expunged.
* It is also necessary and only reasonable that the operating rights of Hindu temples be handed over to the Hindu devotees and the wealth of the Hindu temples is utilised for the worship of the deities and the welfare of the Hindu community only.
* It is also necessary to devise a scheme to once again make temples the epicentre of our social-cultural life while ensuring appropriate management and operation of the temples based on the strength of the Hindu society.
* It is our culture to integrate Bharat’s varied linguistic, religious and regional traditions into a comprehensive unit and to promote mutual cooperation among all while accepting and honouring all as equal with identical opportunities for growth.
* Our ideals are our common ancestors. It is the grasp of this very fact that the country saw martyrs like Hasankhan Mewati, Hakimkhan Suri, Khudabaksh and Gaus Khan and a revolutionary like Ashfaqullah Khan. They are admirable role models for all.
* Sanatan Hindu culture and its magnanimous Hindu society that has the ability to accept all, alone can be the saviour of the world from the catastrophic grip of radicalism, intolerance, terrorism, conflict, animosity and exploitation.
* By becoming strong and fearless we will have to create a Hindu society that epitomises these words – “Neither do I threaten anyone, nor do I know any fear myself.” A vigilant, united, strong and active society is the solution to all problems.
* The fabric that binds our society together is our heritage, the chorus that rises in our hearts in the praise of the glory of our ancestors and our pure devotion towards our motherland. The word ‘Hindu’ is the expression of this very connotation.
Dussehra or Vijaya Dashami, according to the Hindu calendar is celebrated on the 10th day after the 9 days of Navratri festivities in the month of Ashvina.
(With inputs from agencies)