Mohan Bhagwat pitches for 3 kids, flags ‘demographic changes’, defends festival meat ban

Bhagwat also provided clarity on Sangh position on banning meat sales during Hindu festivals in various parts of the country.

“Food is not linked to religion. But on the day of a fast, people don’t eat. During festivals eating vegetarian food is a norm. In those times if one sees people doing this (eating or selling meat) right in front of their houses, it is possible their feelings will be hurt. It is only a matter of two-three days. Using common sense, one should stay away from such things. What anyone eats should not hurt my sentiments. But it is good to have the sensitivity that it’s their festival and they don’t eat (meat), so I won’t do it. When this common sense is not applied, then the law comes,” Bhagwat said.

Narratives of fear

Bhagwat suggested that the Hindu-Muslim struggle was a result of false narratives of fear on either side. “But a fear has been instilled: If these people stay here, one can’t say what will happen… So many battles were fought, so many people were killed, even the country was partitioned… So, stay alert. On the other side (the narrative is): if we go with the Hindus, Islam will be destroyed. You are different, so stay away. Otherwise you will lose your identity. This is wrong. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad said that a change of religion does not change the nation,” Bhagwat said.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in New Delhi on Thursday. (PTI)

Demographic changes

Bhagwat said demographic changes were a concern, saying these had led to the Partition, referring to Timor as well. While the DNA of Indians was the same as that of their neighbours, the RSS chief said, this did not mean anyone could come in without permission. “If you want to give jobs to Muslims, give them to Indian Muslims. They also need jobs.”

‘Have three children’

Bhagwat also urged Indians to have at least three children, saying societies with fertility rates below this gradually perish. He said doctors had told him that families with three children are “healthier”, with children who learn to adjust better. Three was an ideal number, Bhagwat said, as more would be a stretch on the country’s limited resources.

He obliquely accepted that Muslim decadal rates of growth were also declining, saying that the numbers were falling more for Hindus as their rates of growth of population were earlier lower, “but for others, too, it is going down”.

Manusmriti and Vedas

The RSS chief said if texts like the Manusmriti had derogatory caste references, these need not be accepted, adding many ‘dharmacharyas’ too disagreed with these references. “Also, what is written in some texts did not happen on the ground. And it is not that we have one text. In our whole history, it never happened that the country functioned on the basis of Manusmriti alone.”

All languages national 

On the controversy regarding language, Bhagwat said all Indian languages are national languages, but there should be a language of communication in the country that should not be a foreign language. “Let people decide which it should be. There is no point in having differences on this. If you want, learn many languages.”

In the past too, Bhagwat had said that he didn’t have a problem with people learning English, and that he himself read Charles Dickens and other writers in his younger days. “But we will only read Charles Dickens and not Premchand, that’s not good”.

Name changing 

On renaming of places, Bhagwat said one should not name places after “invaders”. “Names of places should be as per local sentiments. The names of invaders should not be there. I have not said Muslims, but invaders. There should in fact be places named after Shaheed Abdul Hamid, Dr Abdul Kalam… or Ashfaquallah Khan”.

There was nothing anti-Muslim about changing names, he said. “Except for invaders, all other names are welcome.”