Key facts
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday defended the remarks of senior functionary Dattatreya Hosabale, who had advocated keeping the doors of dialogue open with Pakistan. Bhagwat clarified that the organisation does not have an independent foreign policy and aligns with the Centre's stance on the matter.
What Dattatreya Hosabale said
In an interview with news agency PTI in May, Hosabale was asked how India should deal with Pakistan and its sponsorship of terrorism. He responded: “The security and self-respect of a country have to be protected and the government of the day should take care of it. But at the same time, we need not close the doors. We should always be ready to engage them in a dialogue.”
Mohan Bhagwat's clarification
Speaking on Saturday, Bhagwat said there are many people in Pakistan who believe the partition of India was wrong. He noted that several journalists in Pakistan praise the RSS and its work. “There is a distinct undercurrent there of people being anti-Pakistan and against the two-nation theory and they say living together was better,” he said.
Bhagwat added that if India defeats Pakistan beyond repair in the future, it will have to either absorb its people into India or let them live peacefully. For both scenarios, he argued, “the doors of dialogue need to be kept open.”
Drawing a contrast, Bhagwat said: “We are not like Hitler. That is not our nature or our way. So we need to keep some doors open. We should vanquish injustice and tyranny, but we should also preserve what is good.”
RSS stance on foreign policy
The RSS chief reiterated that the Sangh does not have an independent policy on foreign affairs and fully supports the central government's position on Pakistan.
FAQ
- Q: What did RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat say about Pakistan? A: Bhagwat said that while India must protect its security and self-respect, the doors of dialogue with Pakistan should remain open. He clarified that the RSS does not have an independent foreign policy and supports the Centre's stance.
- Q: Why did RSS chief compare the organisation to Hitler? A: Bhagwat said 'We are not like Hitler' to emphasise that the RSS believes in keeping doors open for dialogue even with adversaries, and that it is not in the Sangh's nature to completely shut out engagement.
- Q: What was Dattatreya Hosabale's earlier statement on Pakistan? A: In a May interview, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said that while India must ensure its security, it should always be ready to engage Pakistan in dialogue.
Source: www.hindustantimes.com