No need to turn India into 'Hindu Rashtra' because...: RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale
During the RSS meeting in Bhuj, Gujarat, invited members reviewed the progress of the outfit's expansion plans, as the Sangh has set itself a target of opening 'shakhas' (branches) in all 59,060 'mandals' of the country ahead of its centenary celebrations in 2025.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, while speaking to the media at Bhuj in Gujarat's Kutch district on the last day of the Sangh's three-day All India Executive Board meeting on Tuesday, asserted Sangh believes that there is no need to turn India into a `Hindu Rashtra' or Hindu nation because the country has always been one.
"India is already a Hindu Rashtra and it will remain so in the future too. Dr Hedgewar (founder of RSS) had once said that as long as there is a Hindu in this country, this country is a Hindu nation. The Constitution talks about a state system, which is different. As a nation, India was, India is and India will remain a Hindu Rashtra," he added.
Hosabale made the statement while replying to a question "when will India become a Hindu nation?"
He said caring about the country's unity and spending some time for the betterment of society is `Hindutva'.
"The RSS does the work of making the people realize that India is a Hindu Rashtra. Thus, there is no need to establish a Hindu Rashtra because India is already one. That is what the RSS believes," he said.
RSS on 'north versus south' lines
Hosabale claimed one of the main challenges before the country is a conspiracy to divide it on the `north versus south' lines.
The RSS general secretary said, "Some people are now saying that south India is different from north India. A conspiracy is being hatched at the political and intellectual level to cut the south (from the rest of India), claiming that they are Dravidians and their language is also different. This is a tactic to weaken the country. People must come forward to oppose it and make sure that such people do not succeed," he said.
He cites RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's "cultural marxism and wokeism" remark to highlight the other challenges before the country.
Ahead of the inauguration of the Ram temple at Ayodhya on January 22, RSS workers will embark on a nation-wide door-to-door campaign between January 1 to 15 to extend invitation to the country's people for the grand opening of the temple, he said.
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