RSS chief stresses need to unite Hindu society, pitches for 3 children in Hindu families
Lucknow (PTI): RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday called for uniting and empowering the Hindu society, saying there is no threat but vigilance is necessary, and suggested that Hindu families should consider having at least three children.
He also said that infiltrators should be "detected, deleted and deported".
Addressing a social-harmony meeting at the Saraswati Shishu Mandir here, Bhagwat expressed concern over what he described as a declining Hindu population and said inducement- or coercion-based religious conversions should be stopped.
He also emphasised accelerating efforts to bring people back to the Hindu-fold and ensuring their welfare.
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"There is a need to unite and empower Hindus. There is no threat to us but vigilance is necessary," the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief said.
Raising concerns over infiltration, Bhagwat said infiltrators should be "detected, deleted and deported" and should not be provided employment.
He also said Hindu families should consider having at least three children, citing scientific opinions that societies with an average fertility rate of below three could disappear in the future.
Bhagwat said newly-married couples should be made aware of this and added that the purpose of marriage is to carry forward creation, not merely fulfilling one's own desires.
Bhagwat said a lack of harmony leads to discrimination and stressed that all citizens share one country and one motherland.
"The Sanatan thought is a philosophy of harmony," he said, adding that differences that have emerged over time must be addressed through understanding and practice.
Bhagwat said those who disagree should not be viewed as enemies and emphasised coordination over conflict.
He described "matrushakti" (women power) as the foundation of the household, saying women should not be seen as weak and should receive training in self-defence.
The RSS chief said the Indian tradition accords women a revered place and values nurturing qualities over physical appearance.
Responding to a question on University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines, he said laws must be obeyed and if a law is flawed, there are constitutional ways to change it.
He said caste divisions should not become a cause of conflict and called for uplifting the disadvantaged with a sense of belonging.
Bhagwat said India would guide the world in the near future and that solutions to many global problems lie within the country's civilisational ethos.
He said regular community-level meetings should promote social harmony, remove misconceptions and address social issues, while extending support to the weaker sections of the society.
The RSS chief cautioned that some elements in the United States and China are working against India's social harmony, and called for vigilance and mutual trust.
Representatives from Sikh, Buddhist and Jain communities, along with organisations such as the Ramakrishna Mission, ISKCON and Art of Living Foundation, among others, attended the programme.
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Nine of family killed as car falls into well in Nashik district
Nashik (PTI): Nine members of a family, including six children, were killed after their car fell into a well in Maharashtra's Nashik district, police said on Saturday.
The accident occurred in the Shivaji Nagar area of Dindori town around 10 pm on Friday, an official said.
The victims were heading home after attending a function at a banquet hall in the area when their car fell into a well near the venue, he said.
Personnel from the local police and emergency services arrived at the scene and retrieved the car and its occupants with the help of two cranes and swimmers around midnight.
The victims were members of the Dargude family from Indore village in Dindori taluka, the official said.
According to the police, the deceased were identified as Sunil Dattu Dargude (32), his wife Reshma, Asha Anil Dargude (32), and six children from the family, five girls in the age group of seven to 14 years and an 11-year-old boy.
Their bodies were brought to the government hospital in Dindori, the official said, adding that a case has been registered and a probe is underway to ascertain the cause of the accident.
