Heaping praise on the Narendra Modi Government and the Indian Army for the recent surgical strikes on the terror camps in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK), RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Tuesday that there should not be any compromise on the principle that the whole of Kashmir, including Mirpur, Muzzafarabad, Gilgit and Baltistan, was “an inseparable and integral part” of India.
Addressing a Dussehra rally at Resham Baug ground in Nagpur, Bhagwat, who touched upon a host of issues during his hour-long speech, sought to distinguish between self-styled cow vigilantes and “Gau-sevaks” who go about the protection of cows under the ambit of the Constitution.
Alluding to the recent incidents involving self-styled cow vigilantes, Bhagwat said, “RSS volunteers, many sants and other people are engaged in the sacred mission of protecting cows within the framework of the Constitution and law. They cannot be compared with those undesirable elements, who rake up the issue of cow slaughter or spread unfounded rumours about cow-slaughter to sub-serve their narrow personal or political ends.”
Maintaining that the administration should not weigh the law-abiding citizens and anti-social elements in the same scale while dealing with the cow protection issue, Bhagwat asked politicians not to create schism among various sections of society in the event of such untoward incidents involving self-styled cow vigilantes. “Some sections in the media also, in the hope to enhance their commercial gains, are in the habit of sensationalising the reporting of such issues by blowing them out of proportion. They have to resist this temptation,” he said.
Bhagwat also said that it was necessary for the Centre, Jammu & Kashmir Government and the administration to work in tandem “to rein in the internal and external forces of disruption active in the disturbed areas” of the State.
Expressing serious concern over the current situation in Jammu & Kashmir, Bhagwat said, “The diplomatic moves made so far at the international level, and the strong resolve of the Government and the Parliament in the matter are welcome steps but to implement the policy with firmness is also important. Major areas of the Kashmir Valley, Jammu and ladakh are less disturbed and the situation in these areas is well under control. There is an urgent need to promote, consolidate and establish nationalistic activities and forces in these areas”.
“To rein in the internal and external forces of disruption active in the disturbed areas, it is necessary for the Central and State Governments as well as the administration to work in tandem, adopting a common policy, with a definitive attitude,” the RSS chief said.
Dwelling upon the “subversive activities constantly promoted from across the border”, Bhagwat said that the terrorist attack on the Indian Army camp at Uri had underscored the need for continuous preparedness on the part of our combat forces, and the level of perpetual coordination and cooperation was needed among the Army, Defense forces and Intelligence agencies, given the “heavy price” the country paid even for a moment’s distraction.
Stressing on the “urgent need” for rehabilitation of Kahmiri Pandits who were forced out of the State, Bhagwat said that the “discriminatory approach” of the State Administration towards Jammu and ladakh also should be ended immediately.
“Only if the Jammu & Kashmir Government and administration act with a nationalistic feeling, and perform in a clean, considerate, impartial and transparent way, the people of the State will certainly have simultaneous feeling of victory and confidence, and the process of assimilation of the people of the Valley will move forward,” Bhagwat said.
Referring to the deliberations that have been going on the country’s education policy, Bhagwat said that the Government and society should participate in the educational field and both should together guard against commercialization of education. He said that after the new Government at the Centre took over, a committee was appointed to go into the matter and the committee has already submitted its report.
“It remains to be seen whether the recommendations of the committee are in sync with the wisdom of the educationists and activists in the education field. The blueprint of a suitable framework required to bring about a shift in the direction would be available then only, or else, the consensus would remain a mere pipedream,” Bhagwat said.
Prominent among those who were present at the RSS’ Dussehra rally were for Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.