New Delhi: There is no threat to Islam in India, or to Muslims who wish to pursue their faith or seek to “return to” the faith of their ancestors, but they will have to “abandon their boisterous rhetoric of supremacy”, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has said.
In an interview to the Organiser and the Panchjanya, both publications affiliated with the RSS, the ideological fount of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bhagwat said Hindus did not believe in compulsion but anyone who lives in India should abandon the notion of supremacy.
“The simple truth is this- Hindusthan should remain Hindusthan. There is no harm to the Muslims living today in Bharat. If they wish to stick to their faith, they can. If they want to return to the faith of their ancestors, they may. It is entirely their choice. There is no such stubbornness among Hindus. Islam has nothing to fear. But at the same time, Muslims must abandon their boisterous rhetoric of supremacy,” he said in the interview published this week.
“We are of an exalted race; we once ruled over this land, and shall rule it again; only our path is right, rest everyone is wrong; we are different, therefore we will continue to be so; we cannot live together – they must abandon this narrative. In fact, all those who live here – whether a Hindu or a communist – must give up this logic,” he said.
In response to a question on population policy and control, an issue that the Sangh has focussed on over the years and pushed the government to come up with a national policy for, Bhagwat said, “Population is an asset, but it can be a heavy burden too. As I had mentioned in that (Dussehra) speech, it is essential that we frame a thoughtful, long-term population policy. And the same should be equally implemented by everyone. But this cannot be done forcefully; people must be educated.”
