Pics: Meryick D' Silva
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (DV)
Mangalore, Sep 23: "Bharat should remain Bharat. If our philosophy and traditions are taken out, it will not be Bharat anymore. RSS is striving to preserve the culture and traditions of Bharat," said J Nanda Kumar, editor-in-chief of Kesari Malayalam Weekly and Akhila Bharatiya Saha-Prachar Pramukh of RSS.
He was interacting with media persons on RSS in Pathumudi Soudha here on Tuesday September 23.
He also said that RSS' work is 'based on thorough scientific philosophy formulated through sensible methodology', and hence RSS is growing. "RSS is the biggest and the largest voluntary organization in the whole world. Despite all types of accusations, allegations, attacks and bans, RSS has survived and grown over the last 89 years," he said.
He also said that to understand the Sangh one has to go through the works authored by the officials of Sangh. "There so many misconception about the Sangh, such as 'Sangh is a higher caste organization and it is against against lower caste organization'. RSS is discussed (by people) as it is a religious, fundamental organization. Sangh is the only organization which has not asked about members' caste, creed and even their religion since its inception in 1925," he said.
Giving the example of Mahatma Gandhi's visits to RSS camp in Vartha Ashram in 1936, he said in the camp, Gandhi noticed the mingling of different classes. "When Gandhi visited Bhangi colony he was escorted by the members of RSS. RSS is a disciplined patriotic, nationalistic organization," he added.
"Another misconception is that Mahatma Gandhi was murdered by the RSS. There were desperate attempts made to ban RSS which failed miserably," Nanda Kumar said.
"Nehru had said he would uproot RSS from the Indian political map and put it into the Arabian Sea. In 1948 he got the opportunity but within 17 days Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel wrote to Nehru stating that not even a single RSS member was involved in the assassination of Gandhi.
Moreover, Nehru himself invited RSS to take part in the Republic Day Parade," he said.
"RSS preaches that you can do anything as long as it is good for the nation, in a good way and with a vision. The Sangh teaches that the country has given us something, let us give something to the country," he added.
On this occasion Vadhiraj and Sunil Kulkarni were present.