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Bengaluru: Rashtriya Swamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said that the Sangh is a recognised body and that there should be no confusion regarding the same. He added that while the RSS was banned thrice, the court lifted the same each time.
Answering the question and answer session on ‘Day 2 Lecture Series -100 Years of Sangh’s Journey’ being in Bengaluru, Bhagwat said that registration was not made compulsory after India gained independence. Pointing out that legal status is also given to an unregistered body of individuals, he added that RSS is categorised as body of individuals.
“Sangh started in 1925. Do you expect us to register with the British government, against whom the Sangh was fighting at that time? After independence, the laws we have now in independent India do not make registration compulsory,” he said
Bhagwat added, “The legal status is also given to an unregistered body of individuals. We are categorized as a body of individuals. We are a recognised organisation. The Income Tax Department asked us to pay income tax. Our Guru Dakshina was exempted from the income tax.”
Pointing out on the ban imposed on RSS, he added, “We were banned thrice. So the government has recognised us (laughter in the hall). Each time the court dismissed the ban and made RSS a legal organisation. So many times, questions are asked in State Assemblies and Parliament, and statements are made to prove that somebody an anti-RSS. The RSS not without recognition. Legally, we are an organisation. We are not unconstitutional. Our legal status is in the Constitution. So we need not register. Many things are there which are not registered, even Hindu Dharma is not registered.”
Among the other series of questions, the RSS chief was asked about why the saffron flag was adopted instead of national flag, he noted that the organisation considered ‘Bhagwa’ as its guru. Noting that there has to be permanent symbol of India’s glorious past he said that it is only Bhagwa, which is why it is considered as Guru.
“Sangh started in 1925. The current system was asking for contributions. But Dr Hedgewar said Sang is ours. If I have to marry off my sister or brother, I will take a loan, do the needful, and repay. But I will never beg for my work. Sangh is our work. It is not something that I am not contributor or I a donor. It has to be not a donation but a devotion. So we have to give Dakshina. For dakshina, there has to be Guru. So who should be Guru? A person cannot be a Guru as he has spent time in this world. Every sinner has a past and every saint has a future. It is always unpredictable. The most unstable living being in this world is a human being. So there has to be a permanent symbol of our glorious culture. That is saffron. Therefore, the saffron flag was taken as guru”.
"National flag was first decided in 1933. The flag committee unanimously decided the traditional saffron to be the flag of independent India. But the Mahatma Gandhi intervened. For some reason, he said three colours along with Saffron, Since its creation Sangh has always stood by, offered tributes, respected and protected the tricolour," he added.
On being asked about the vision of the RSS, Mohan Bhagwat said that the aim of the group is to unite Hindus to create a prosperous society and a happy world. “We want to unite, organise, impart qualities on the entire Hindu society so that they will create a prosperous society, which will impart Dharma knowledge to the world so that the world becomes happy, blissful and peaceful. That part of society has to be carried out by the entire society, the entire nation. We are a privileged Hindu society. Organising the entire Hindu society is our task. Our vision is an organised, strong Hindu society.”
The RSS chief, on being asked whether any person from another religion can join the organisation, said that any person from any culture can join, provided they keep their separateness out, as those living in India are all sons of Bharat Mata.
“Any person can come to the Sangh. Keep your separateness out. Your specialty is welcome. But when you came to RSS, you come as the son of Bharat Mata. So Muslims come to RSS, Christians come to RSS, as well as anybody from all other castes. We don't ask them who they are. We are all sons of Bharat Mata,” Mohan Bhagwat said further.
