Speaking publicly for the first time about the BJP’s failure to win a majority in the lower house of parliament, RSS leader Mohan Bhagwat said on Monday that a true servant of the people would work without “ahankar” (arrogance) and without harming others. He described the hard-fought election campaign as one in which “decency was not followed.”
He was addressing a gathering of RSS leaders and workers on the day the new BJP-led coalition government held its first cabinet meeting after the conclusion of ‘Karyakarta Vikas Varg’, a regular training programme for RSS workers in Nagpur. Bhagwat also stressed the importance of consensus building..
He also reiterated the Sangha’s concern over the continuing violence in Manipur and asked who was paying attention to the issue on the ground. He said the issue needed to be addressed on priority.
“We are already married, we are married, our wives are married… We are already married, our wives are married, our wives are married, our wives are married, our wives are married.” That is all we want. A true sevak will maintain good manners while doing his work. One who maintains good manners while doing his work will not be attached. He will not become arrogant because I have done this. Only such a person can be a sevak,” he said.
The RSS leader made these remarks at a time when the BJP and the Sangh are holding talks following the election results and a new coalition government is to be formed at the Centre.
He said elections should be seen as a competition, not a war.
“The things that were said (during the elections), the way both sides were blaming each other… no one seems to care about the division in society that is being created because of what is being done… and for no reason the Sangha has been dragged into this… technology has been used to spread lies. Is this how knowledge should be used? Is this how the country is going to be run?” he said.
About the Opposition, Bhagwat said, “I don’t call it Virodhi Paksh, I call it Pratipaksh. Pratipaksh virodhi nahi hai (Opposition is not the enemy). This is only taking one side and it has to be thought through. If we realise this is the way we are to operate, then we have to be aware of the decorum required while contesting elections. That decorum has not been followed.”
He said elections are essential to democracy and there is competition because there are two camps.
“So there is a tendency to leave the other side behind, and that’s how it should be. But even there, courtesy is important. You can’t lie. People are elected, they sit in parliament and they run the country based on consensus. Consensus is our tradition,” he said.
According to Bhagwat, thoughts and ideas will never be 100% aligned.
“But when society decides that we have to work together despite our differences, a consensus is formed. There are two sides to Parliament and both opinions are heard. Every coin has two sides. When one side puts forward an idea, the other has to bring out another point of view,” he said, adding, “We have to free ourselves from the excessive rhetoric of opinion polls and think about the future.”
Regarding the surge in violence in Manipur, Bhagwat said, “Social discord is happening everywhere. This is not good. For the last one year, Manipur has been waiting for peace. For the last 10 years, it has been peaceful. The old gun culture seemed to have disappeared. But the gun culture that has suddenly formed or been created is still burning in Manipur. Who is going to pay attention to it? It is our duty to address it on priority.”
© Indian Express Ltd.
First uploaded: November 6, 2024, 7:03 AM
