India Often Advised On Minorities, But Plight Of Minorities Ignored Elsewhere: RSS Chief Bhagwat

Pune: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat, on Thursday, while addressing the inauguration event of the 'Hindu Seva Mahotsav', made strong comments about the situation of minorities in different parts of the world. Pointing out that India is often advised to pay more attention to the issues of its minority communities, Bhagwat stated that there is little focus on the struggles faced by minorities in other countries.

Bhagwat said, "India is constantly urged to address the issues of its minorities, but now we are witnessing the challenges faced by minority communities in other parts of the world." He stressed that while many people talk about the need for world peace, the ongoing wars in various regions are not stopping.

The RSS Chief also raised concerns about the contradictory nature of these discussions, where countries like India are encouraged to worry about their own minorities, while minorities in other nations continue to suffer.

Although Bhagwat did not directly mention the recent violence against Hindus in neighbouring Bangladesh, the RSS has raised concerns in recent weeks about the safety of the Hindu community there, particularly following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina government. 

"Manav dharma (humanity) is the eternal dharma of all the dharmas, which is a Vishwa dharma and also called Hindu Dharma. However, the world has forgotten this dharma. They have the same dharma but they forgot, and because of that, today we are witnessing different kinds of problems such as environmental and other issues," said Bhagwat.

A lot of people outside our country think that world peace is not possible without India playing a role, he said.

"They believe it is only India and its rich tradition that can do this, the way it was demonstrated for 3,000 years. It is our responsibility to fulfill this requirement of the world," Bhagwat said.

Talking about the Hindu Seva Mahotsav, he said there was an assumption that only people from outside come to India and dedicate themselves to service.

"The reality is that the cumulative service of all the sages from different sects of the Sanatan Dharma is far bigger than the total service rendered by those who have come from outside. The only thing is, we do not do excessive publicity of what we do for society. We remain lackadaisical in giving publicity," the RSS chief said.

By not exhibiting the "seva bhav" (willingness to serve) of Indians, people have acquired the notion that "we can not do anything", he said.

"When the British ruled over us, they taught us, and till lately we were studying the same things. People from outside came one after another and became rulers by defeating us. Obeying them became our character. As these people came from outside and started teaching us, we forgot our rich legacy, ancient knowledge," Bhagwat said.