Indian Music Teaches Discipline and Harmony, Says RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat

Indore (MP): Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday said Indian music teaches synergy, harmony and discipline.

Bhagwat was speaking at the 'Swar Shatak Malwa' programme in Indore city where 870 Sangh volunteers played traditional musical instruments in a group performance.

"Some of the participants in this programme would be expert players. But they do not perform as per their own whim. They match their tune and rhythm with that of others," he said.

When a person becomes part of a group, he restrains himself and matches his steps with others, the RSS chief added.

Underlining the importance of discipline further, he said when a particularly melodious piece of music is played during an RSS program, both the performers and audience feel there should be a repeat.

But "with one wave of the baton in the hand of the conductor of the RSS's music program, all the instruments fall silent," he said.

Indian music frees one of useless attractions, leading the person on the righteous path, he further said.

While music from other parts of the world "excites the mind", Indian music brings joy by calming the mind, Bhagwat observed.

"Listening to Indian music redeems a person from worldly attractions and develops a tendency to do good deeds, which brings joy in abundance," he added.

The RSS chief also said that Sangh volunteers, inspired by patriotism, have composed traditional tunes and martial music using different instruments, and the idea behind this endeavour was to ensure that the country does not lack the art the rest of the world possesses.

"Our Bharat is not a backward or poor country. We can sit in the front row in the congregation of the world's nations, and tell them we have varied arts," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Republic and is published from a syndicated feed.)