I NEVER SAID ‘U-TURN’ ON RETIREMENT AT THE AGE OF 75-MOHAN BHAGWAT

I NEVER SAID ‘U-TURN’ ON RETIREMENT AT THE AGE OF 75-MOHAN BHAGWAT

29-AUG-ENG 1

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

DELHI-------------------------Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday blamed conversion and illegal migration as the main reasons behind demographic imbalance and said the government is trying to stop illegal migration, but society will also have to play its role.

Responding to a question during a function organised to mark the centenary of the RSS, Bhagwat said religion is a matter of personal choice and there should be no inducement or coercion. "Conversion and illegal migration are the main reasons for demographic imbalance. We should not give jobs to illegal migrants. We should give jobs to our people, including Muslims," ​​he said.

Calling to integrate Gurukul education with mainstream education, Mohan Bhagwat said Gurukul education does not mean living in an ashram but learning about the traditions of the country. He said he is not in favour of making Sanskrit compulsory, but it is important to understand the tradition and history of the country.

He said, "Relevant 64 aspects of Vedic period should be taught. Gurukul education should be included in the mainstream and not replaced." The RSS chief further said that the mainstream should be connected with Gurukul education, whose model is similar to the education model of Finland.

Addressing the media, he said, "Finland, a leading country in the field of education, has a separate university for training teachers. Due to less local population, many people come from abroad, so they accept students from all countries." He said, "Education till class VIII is given in the mother tongue of the students... So Gurukul education does not mean going to an ashram and living there, it has to be connected with the mainstream." Mohan Bhagwat's U-turn on retirement rule at 75 years of age: "I never said I will retire or anyone should retire. In the Sangh, we are given work whether we want it or not. If I am 80 years old and the Sangh says go and run a shakha, I have to do it. Whatever the Sangh says, we do it... as long as the Sangh wants. We are ready to retire or work." Describing the new National Education Policy (NEP) as a step in the right direction, Bhagwat said the education system in our country was destroyed long ago. "The new education system was introduced because we were always slaves of the foreign invaders who were the rulers of that time. They wanted to rule this country, not develop it. So they made all the systems keeping in mind how we can rule this country... but now we are free. So we don't have to run only the country, we have to run the people," he said. The RSS chief said that children should be given all the necessary information about the past, so that they can feel proud that we are also something, we can also do something. He said, "We have done it. All this had to change. There has been a little change in the last few years and awareness about it has increased." Mohan Bhagwat said that the RSS supports reservation as per the provision given in the Constitution. He said, "Caste-based reservation should be taken with sensitivity. Deendayal ji had a vision - those who are at the bottom should try to rise up and those who are at the top should extend a hand to pull them up. The Sangh supports reservation as per the provision given in the Constitution.