New Delhi: Senior RSS functionaries on Friday pitched for social harmony in the country and appealed to the people of different faiths to discard those trying to mislead them, saying it is necessary for making India a global leader.
Addressing an event organised here to launch a book titled Bharatiya Musalman: Ekta Ka Aadhaar’ written in Hindi, RSS Sampark Pramukh Ram Lal said attempts were made to create “confusion and tussle” among Hindus and Muslims in the society in the past but a “good atmosphere” is emerging now.
“We have to make India a global leader. World feels it will happen in 10 years. It can certainly happen. For this, India needs to become capable of leading for which me and you have to make efforts,” he said.
“We will have to take a stand. There will be problems but to make our society and country better we have to bring everybody together,” he added.
Ram Lal said such an effort was made during the Ram temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya when representatives of different faiths were invited to attend the event on January 22.
“When there were fights in Ayodhya, Lord Ram left for vanvaas’. Now when Lord Ram has returned, stop fights. Then, we will see India becoming vishwaguru’ with the capacity to lead the world in just 10 years,” he added.
The RSS leader said before 1857, all Indians were together in the country’s struggle for freedom from the British.
But, seeing the strength of the Indians, British rule first created division among Hindus and Muslims and then “North-South divide”, he said.
“They also created division among Hindus and Sikhs and then divided Hindu society into castes, and created a colonial mindset (among Indians) by introducing the English education system,” he said.
There is a need to change “thinking” by pondering “whether we should identify ourselves with methods of worship, clothes ,” he added.
Addressing the event attended by people of different faiths, RSS national executive member Indresh Kumar said people of one country are identified by their “character, behaviour and nationality” in other countries, not by their religion.
“Instead of falling in the trap of confusion and illusion, we must think if we are going in the wrong direction as well as taking our country and our (respective) community in the wrong direction,” he said.
Ten years ago, India was known as a “country of riots” and some opposition parties are still trying to create such an atmosphere in the country, the RSS leader said and exhorted the people to defeat all such efforts.
Such political parties consider Muslims as their vote bank only, he said, asking the members of the minority community to be “wary of such people”.
“Discard those creating misunderstandings. Resolve issues with communication and dialogue. We can change religion but we cannot change our ancestors. We have common ancestors. Then what to fight for? We are all Hindustani,” he said.
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