The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh Sarsanghchalak, Mohan Bhagwat, queered the pitch for the Bihar elections when during his annual Vijayadashami, he touched upon the contentious CAA issue while simultaneously referring to the Chinese build up on our borders and the need to tackle unemployment. Bhagwat, who is known for his candidness, also reiterated that Hindutva was the essence of this nation and therefore should be recognised by one and all as it symbolised our rich traditions and culture.
The RSS chief’s observations on China were significant since they amounted to sending a message to the government as well as to people that India needed to become stronger both economically and in scope to counter this ambitious neighbour. The comment evoked a strong reaction from the Congress with its former president, Rahul Gandhi, urging the RSS and the BJP to come forward and explain how much land had been encroached upon by the Chinese. The BJP’s weak response pertained to what had happened in 1962 under the Congress rule. However, Bhagwat did not mince words while describing the expansionist tendencies of China with which the world and the entire international community was familiar. Both Vietnam and Taiwan have experienced the desire of that nation to annex territories belonging to others. The only way to counter this was to make ourselves better equipped economically, militarily and in every way. He warned China that India was in favour of maintaining good relations with its neighbours but its friendliness should not be mistaken for its weakness.
Bhagwat’s reference to Hindutva was on expected lines. It has been the belief of the RSS and many other organisations that India’s secular character was because its people were deeply steeped into the value system that we have inherited over the generations. In the past, Bharatiya Jan Sangh and BJP stalwarts have maintained that we were a secular country only because we are predominantly Hindu. Besides, the traditions and heritage are linked to our collective outlook regarding the world.
Bhagwat’s views on CAA have drawn sharp reactions from the Opposition. His view is that the CAA was not meant to deprive any Indian citizens of his or her rights. Neither was it aimed at curtailing the population of any community. The debate remained inconclusive due to the coronavirus pandemic which has severely affected our day-to-day life. His advice on Covid-19 was that it has to be tackled by following all precautions as stipulated by the experts.
However, what could make the BJP worry is his mention of unemployment and the need to step up measures to tackle it. The pandemic had compelled many migrants to return to their villages. However, they had no choice now but to return back to the cities where they may have to struggle to find jobs. The joblessness was in fact a major challenge before the government and creating employment was paramount to revive economy. The problems which we were facing were interlinked and thus needed a concerted push.