RSS bats for Hindu unity, endorses ‘spirit’ of ‘Batengey Toh Katengey’ remark

STATE TIMES NEWS

Mathura (UP): Hindu unity is essential for everyone’s good and there is a need to be vigilant against forces that seek to divide in the name of religion, caste and ideology, RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said on Saturday virtually endorsing the “batengey toh katengey (divided we fall)” remark by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

“If we discriminate/divide on the basis of language, state, upper and backward castes, then we will be decimated (Hum jaati, bhasha, prant agla-pitchda bhed se hum karengey toh hum katengey),” the leader of the BJP’s ideological fountainhead told reporters on the second and concluding day of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s national meet here.
He was asked about the ‘batengey toh katengey’ slogan given by Adityanath and subsequently flagged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his rally in Thane, Maharashtra on October 5.
Hosabale stressed that while the statement itself is not the focus, the spirit behind it is significant.
“The issue is of Hindu unity. In fact, we often say that those who forget the Hindu thought invite disaster, lose their family, land and places of worship. The spirit is the same. The issue is unity in society. (Samaj ekatmata se nahi rahega toh .. itihaas kehta hai.. hum to kehte hain jab jab Hindu bhaav ko bhoole aayi vipada mahaan bhai tootey dharti khoi mitey dharma sansthan .. yeh hamara geet hai … toh usko aajkal ki bhasha main aisa aapne jo kaha ho sakta hai. Mudda kya hain. Samaj ki ekta,” the RSS leader said.
Asserting that unity is essential for any nation, he said mere speeches are insufficient and real efforts are required to foster it.
“We have to inculcate it in our behaviour. The good thing is that many religious and other organisations are now understanding this and supporting it. Hindu unity is the RSS’ pledge,” he said, adding Sangh reflects the voice of the society.
“Hindu unity is for everyone’s good, for global happiness and peace. Hindu unity is important to ensure our protection and for world harmony. That is why we back Hindu unity and there are no two views on this,” he said.
The RSS veteran cautioned that there were “forces” working to “divide Hindus” on religious and caste lines.
“Some forces seek to divide in the name of religion and caste, ideology and other ways so we have to be vigilant against them,” he said.
On October 5, Prime Minister Modi also flagged the issue of Hindu unity at a rally in Thane, Maharashtra where he said, “Agar hum batenge, toh bantney waley mehfil sajaayenge (if we are divided, then those who seek to do so would celebrate).”
Regarding the dispute of Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah in Mathura, he said that this issue is currently pending in the court. “We hope that the court resolves this issue soon,” he said and added that there is no need to do anything like Ayodhya in this matter and people should have faith in judiciary.
“Many people have raised their voice and there is a public awakening in the Hindu society at the national level on the issue. The Sangh is not separate from them, it is with the society,” he added.
On questions related to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Hosabale said the issue is not related to any one party or community and a joint committee of parliament is in the process of hearing the views of all religions and classes.
“The fact is that some such amendments were made in the Waqf Act earlier in 2013 which made it an independent entity in India. Even the district magistrate or any other competent officer could not interfere in that matter,” he said.
He said, “All this did not happen just like that. Earlier, an attempt was made to bring a similar bill on targeted violence. Many problems have arisen due to such things. All this was done as per a plan under a special conspiracy, which has to be corrected”.
Hosabale said, “It is not just that only the Hindus are against this bill. The truth is that many people from the Muslim community have also presented their problems before the JPC.”
He said, “They are the communities which are troubled by the excesses, exploitation and injustice of Waqf. That is why they are also objecting.”
“The truth is that this is not an issue of any one party or community,” the RSS leader said.
Asked about the meeting between Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, he said that the chief minister had mainly come to discuss the upcoming Kumbh in Prayagraj.
“He (Adityanath) said that efforts will be made to make this year’s Kumbh more ‘saarthak’ (meaningful) and ‘yashasvi’ (successful) than the last time. He also presented the plans prepared for this to Sangh officials,” the RSS general secretary said.
Hosabale said that the main request of the chief minister was to encourage people from tribal society and their religious leaders to attend Kumbh as due to some reasons they are not able to reach in the numbers in which they should be represented.
He requested that the RSS also extend invitation to them so that all sections of society can participate in this sacred work, Hosabale added.
“He remarked that the Kumbh is not only a religious event but a national celebration that showcases the country’s cultural unity,” Hosabale said.
On reports claiming a tussle between RSS and the BJP after a statement by the BJP national president on Sangh during the Lok Sabha elections, he said, “We are a public organisation. We have no tussle with any party, let alone the BJP, because we do not think anything like that. We meet everyone. We do not discriminate against anyone.”
He also said, “Why should we hate? On the contrary, I have only this much to say that those who want to run a shop of love (‘mohabbat kee dukaan’) in the market of hatred (‘nafrat kee baazaar’), do not want to meet us at all.”
To a query on concerns about the “adverse effect” on the new generation from the content coming on independent platforms like social media and OTT, he said that the government should make arrangements for regulation in this matter.
Due to freedom of expression, everyone has access to films and other mediums “from classroom to bedroom which is wrong”,he said.
In this matter, the government should make arrangements after consultation with society, he said.
“I do not say that control (‘niyantran’) should be there, but regulation (‘niyaman’) must be done so that there is no adverse effect on the society,” he said.
He said the government has to play its role in preventing drug use among youths.
“It is our responsibility and the responsibility of the family to not let such habits develop in children. For this, they have to inculcate good values. An environment should be created for them in society. The Sangh promotes this work and fulfils this responsibility with insistence,” he said.
On issues like religious conversion and love jihad, Hosabale said that the Sangh does not directly intervene in such matters.
Organisations like Hindu Jagran Manch and Bajrang Dal look into these. “We think about the reasons for the growth of such incidents and work to eliminate them,” he said.
Citing an example, he said that after an incident in Kerala, “200 girls returned. But the problem for them was how the society would accept them”.
“How would they move forward in life, etc? Then the Sangh came forward and got them rehabilitated by supporting an organisation. Some of them even took a vow that in future they will work to save other girls from love jihad for the rest of their lives. The Sangh gives them support through education and training,” he said.
He said the outcome of the RSS’ Pratinidhi Sabha held in March this year was reviewed at the meeting here.
The Sangh has completed 99 years this year and entered its centenary year. “It was discussed how to organise programmes on Vijayadashmi next year,” he said.
“We will go to people with the idea of Panch Parivartan — self-dependent lifestyle (‘swa-aadhaarit jeevan shailee’), social harmony, family enlightenment (‘kutumb prabodhan’), environment and civic duty,” he said.
Hosable also informed that in terms of expansion of RSS’ work, 72,354 ‘shakhaas’ are running at 45,411 places. Compared to last year, 3,626 places and 6,645 ‘shakhas’ have increased.
Similarly, the number of weekly meetings was 29,369, which has increased by 3,147 annually.
He informed 750 places have been added to Sangh Mandals. Such expansion will be done in a total of 1,13,105 places before the meeting of the Pratinidhi Sabha to be held in Bengaluru next year.
He also cited examples of social work undertaken by Sangh workers in the past years including assistance provided during natural calamities in states like West Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat, Odisha, Karnataka and Kerala.