Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday called for “necessary Constitutional amendments” to ensure “equal democratic rights” for Hindus living in Jammu & Kashmir so that they could lead a “happy, dignified and secure life like other Indians.”
Bhagwat also accused the State Governments of Kerala and West Bengal of not only being “apathetic” to the national crisis triggered by anti-national forces but also lending a helping hand to these forces for petty political interests.
Addressing the annual Dussehra rally at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, Bhagwat lamented that despite being the citizens of India, Hindus based in J&K were still deprived of basic facilities of education, employment and democratic rights and were leading a backward life.
Underscoring the “urgent need” for taking the benefits of development to the masses in the entire J&K, including Jammu and ladakh regions, without any discrimination and through transparent and clean governance, Bhagwat said: “The problem of refugees is still not resolved in the State.”
“For decades together, some generations are living through this miserable state of refugees for their decision to be in Bharat and remain as Hindu. Despite being citizens of Bharat, they are still far away from the basic facilities of education, employment and democratic rights, and leading a backward life,” Bhagwat said.
“This is happening just because of the discriminatory provisions in the State of J&K that denied them the fundamental rights. The problems of permanent residents of the State who migrated from the Pakistan-Occupied-J&K in 1947 and the people who were displaced from Kashmir Valley in 1990 are remaining as it is,” the RSS chief said.
“We have to create conditions so that our brothers can lead a happy, dignified and secure life like other Indians by availing equal democratic rights and fulfilling democratic duties, even while remaining firm and devoted to their religions and national identity,” Bhagwat said.
“For this just work, necessary Constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed. Then and then only, the residents of J&K can be completely assimilated with the rest of Bharat and their equal cooperation and share will be possible in national progress,” he said.
The RSS chief singled out the lDF Government in Kerala and Mamta Banerjee Government in West Bengal for criticism, when he spoke about the “dangerous game” being played by the anti-national forces by triggering “unrest” among people on the basis of language, region, sects and religion.
.Stressing on the need for the entire society pursuing a “well-thought” policy of dealing sternly and strongly with the anti-national forces, Bhagwat said: “This thought has also become all the more important when a dangerous game is being played by anti-national forces by stimulating unrest, separatism, violence, enmity or hatred amongst group or local identities on the basis of language, region, sects, religion etc”.
While expressing serious concern over the cross-border smuggling including that of cow, Bhagwat alluded to the contentious Rohingyas issue which, he said, needed to be dwelt with “by keeping in mind that they (Rohingyas) will definitely be a threat to national security and integrity”.
“The nation already has been facing the problem of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and now Rohingyas who are chased away from Myanmar have infiltrated and many more are ready to migrate illegally. They are being driven out of Myanmar mainly due to their continuous violent and criminal separatist activities and linkages with the terrorist groups,” he said.
“Any decision regarding them should be taken by keeping in mind that they will definitely be a threat to national security and integrity. The Government seems to be thinking on the same line,” the RSS chief said.
Heaping praise on the Modi Government for its recent actions on the western border with Pakistan and northern border with China, Bhagwat said: “Bharat’s strong and determined stand has been visible in the incidents like Doklam on the borders as well as in international diplomacy. This definitely makes us realise about our strength and at the same time provides new international standing to Bharat”.
Prominent among those present at this year’s RSS rally in Nagpur were senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader lK Advani, Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
While appreciating the Government for its welfare schemes like Jan Dhan, MUDRA, gas subsidy and agricultural insurance etc and some bold decisions taken to control corruption and bring about speedy economic development, Bhagwat called for an “integrated and holistic policy” which will take into consideration the diversity and various requirements of the nation. “The policy thus formulated should address the needs of the industry, trade, agriculture and environment together and safeguard the interests of all from big, medium and small industries to small retailers, farmers and landless labourers,” he said
Alluding to the agrarian crisis, Bhagwat said that the farmers, faced as they were with onslaught of floods and droughts, export-import policy, meagre pricing, mounting loans and loss of crops, were “in pain today”.
The RSS chief said that though the Government had introduced appreciable schemes like crop insurance, soil testing and e-marketing for agricultural products, the Centre and State Governments needed to be more vigilant to ensure effective implementation of these schemes on the ground.
Holding that temporary measures like loan waivers were not solutions to the agrarian crisis, Bhagwat called for amalgamation of new technology and traditional non-polluting methods for farmers so that they could do farming with less investment and without getting into debt trap.