Talking at a e-book launch in Nagpur on Friday, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat mentioned “varna” and “jaati” (caste) must be utterly discarded, including that “the caste system has no relevance now”.
“Every part that causes discrimination ought to exit lock, inventory and barrel,” the RSS chief mentioned.
The Opposition was fast to react to the assertion.
Chatting with reporters at Nagpur airport, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar mentioned Saturday: “An enormous phase of society suffered attributable to such discrimination. And the truth that those that had been chargeable for such discrimination are realising it should be completed away with, is an effective factor,” he mentioned.
“Solely apologising, nonetheless, won’t do. Every part is determined by how we truly behave with these sections of society,” the NCP chief added.
AAP chief Durgesh Pathak mentioned, ‘When he (Bhagwat) says such issues, I need to ask the RSS chief why is it at all times somebody from the higher castes who turns into the RSS chief.”
Bhagwat has been concerned within the dialog round caste earlier as nicely, dealing with backlash over his and the organisation’s stand on caste.
In August this 12 months, former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah mentioned that he had been “opposing the RSS from the start as it’s simply an affiliation of higher castes”. He went on to say that “they (the RSS) imagine within the ‘Chaturvarna’ system (caste system). Chaturvarna system believes within the supremacy of higher castes; if that system continues, there can be inequality which can in flip result in exploitation”.
The earlier month, whereas addressing a gathering of spiritual leaders from Dalit and backward class communities in Karnataka, Bhagwat mentioned that “efforts should be made to stop spiritual conversions since they take individuals away from their roots”.
In keeping with the RSS-linked ‘Samvada’ web site, which quoted from his speech, he went on to say: “The principle issues of Hindu society corresponding to untouchability, variations and inequality exist primarily within the thoughts. These issues don’t exist within the scriptures…These issues have existed in our minds for a lot of generations and their options may also take time. We now have to slowly work to take away them from our thoughts.”
In January 2018, talking at a convention on “Nationalism and Moral Practices in Enterprise” on the Bombay Inventory Alternate in January 2018, Bhagwat mentioned that “the moral practices of the society is mirrored within the politics of the nation. For instance, I don’t need to use caste politics however I’m compelled to make use of it as a result of the society votes primarily based on caste. If I keep in energy, solely then can I modify the system. So if the society adjustments, the politics of the nation may also change, not vice-versa”.
Again in September 2015, Bhagwat’s suggestion for a evaluate of the reservation coverage had obtained quite a lot of backlash. He had made the feedback on the time of the Patel quota stir in Gujarat.
In an interview to RSS mouthpieces ‘Organiser’ and ‘Panchjanya’, Bhagwat had mentioned, “We must always have an integral strategy of welfare for all. It’s wise to understand that my curiosity lies in a bigger curiosity. Authorities additionally needs to be delicate to those points that there shouldn’t be any agitation for them.” He went on suggest “a committee of individuals genuinely involved for the curiosity of the entire nation and dedicated for social equality, together with some representatives from the society, [who] ought to resolve which classes require reservation and for the way lengthy”.
He had additionally then argued that the coverage of reservations primarily based on social backwardness just isn’t in keeping with what the makers of the Structure had in thoughts.
As his remarks set off a storm, inviting criticism from the Opposition and leaving the BJP red-faced, the RSS issued a press release that “it firmly helps the present reservation coverage enshrined within the Structure” and that the remarks had been “distorted by critics to create confusion in regards to the organisation’s view over the difficulty”. The BJP additionally clarified that it “revered 100 per cent the reservation rights of the SCs, STs and different backward castes.”
Reacting to Bhagwat’s remarks, RJD president Lalu Prasad had, in an interview to PTI, mentioned there was a “sample” behind Bhagwat’s remarks, including: “That’s their (RSS) unique thought course of. Their psyche is towards SC/ST and OBC. What was their internal core got here out.”
Later, in August 2019, Bhagwat spoke of a “dialog in harmonious environment between these in favour of reservation and people towards it”. He additionally addressed his earlier statements and mentioned that his stance on reservation had “created quite a lot of noise and the entire dialogue diverted from the precise subject”.
He added: “Those that favour reservation ought to communicate preserving in thoughts the pursuits of those that are towards it, and equally those that oppose it ought to do the vice-versa…Dialogue on reservation leads to sharp actions and reactions each time whereas there’s a want for concord within the completely different sections of the society on this strategy”.
This once more prompted quite a lot of response, once more from Bihar. Opposition leaders within the state – from RJD, Congress, HAM, RLSP and Left events – hit out on the BJP and the RSS. Hitting out at Bhagwat’s statements, RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav mentioned that “debate and dialogue” ought to as a substitute be held on “why 80 per cent central authorities jobs below the reservation quota are vacant and why there’s not a single secretary-level officer from the OBC and EBC communities And why there is no such thing as a vice-chancellor from Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe class?”
(With PTI inputs)