RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday said that international trade should take place voluntarily and not under pressure. Addressing a lecture series to mark the centenary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Bhagwat said self-reliance was the key to all issues and stressed the need to prioritise indigenous products.
“Being aatmnirbhar (self-reliant) does not mean stopping imports. The world moves because it is interdependent. So export-import will continue. However, there should be no pressure in it,” Bhagwat said. He said swadeshi does not mean not importing goods that the country already has or can manufacture easily. “Bringing goods from outside hurts local vendors,” he said.
Bhagwat’s remarks came on a day when the additional 25 per cent tariff imposed by US President Donald Trump on India for its purchases of Russian oil came into effect. “Whatever is made in your country, there is no need to import it from outside. Whatever is necessary for life and is not made in your country, we will import it from outside.
“The country’s policy should be done voluntarily, one should not go under pressure. This is swadeshi,” Bhagwat said.
Bhagwat also stressed that the organisation’s motive is to make the nation a Vishwaguru through its contribution, and its objective is to instill a sense of responsibility in every Hindu.
“The purpose of the RSS’s establishment is for Bharat, its functioning is for Bharat, and its significance lies in India becoming a vishwaguru. The time for India’s contribution to the world has come,” the RSS chief.
“Hindavi, Bharatiya, and Sanatan are synonymous… There is content behind these words, which is not just geographical… Our DNA has been the same for the last 40,000 years,” he added.
Bhagwat said the RSS was an organisation for the entire Hindu community. “Anyone who wants to be identified as a Hindu will have to be a responsible citizen of the country. This is a responsible community because we got this identity a long time ago.”
The RSS will organise several events across the country. The main objective of the events is to present a comprehensive picture of the RSS to society. Bhagwat spoke on the theme “100 Years of RSS Journey: New Horizons”. He highlighted how Swayamsevaks view themselves and addressed misconceptions about the organisation, while also reaching out to groups that have kept a distance from the RSS.