“Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, better known as Mahatma Gandhi, was a staunch Hindu and he never shied away from showing his credentials”, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Hon’ble Shri Mohan Bhagwat said, adding, “Gandhi even described himself as ‘an orthodox sanatani Hindu”.
“He travelled to understand India and became one with aspirations and sufferings of India and that is why he was never ashamed of being a Hindu. He said I am a staunch ‘sanatani’ Hindu. He also taught to respect other religions.” Shri Mohan Bhagwat was speaking at the launch of a book “This is the time to understand Gandhi” (Gandhi Ko Samajhne ka Sahi Samay) by former NCERT director Prof. JS Rajput in Gandhi Smriti on February 17, 2020. Almost 525 people took part in the programme.
The RSS chief said that India which Gandhi dreamt of is yet to be formed but he has full faith in the present generation that they will realise this even if it is 20 years from now. “Young generation instils confidence in him that if not today, in the next 20 years, there would come a time when on October 2, we could tell him that he can work with peace in India,” said Shri Bhagwat.
Citing Mahatma Gandhi’s policy of opting for honesty and atoning for his mistakes when his experiments failed, Shri Bhagwat said those who are responsible for fostering movements in the current scenario that turned violent are neither held responsible nor do they make amends. “Sometimes Gandhiji’s movement went wrong, but he knew his method was wrong and not his intent. He used to atone for that and take responsibility. But the movements that are going on today, if there are law and order problems is there anyone who will atone? Is there anyone who will take responsibility? If there is a lathi charge or firing, the ones who are killed atone, the one imprisoned have to face courts. But those who organise these movements either win or lose,” he said.
Criticising those who are responsible for stoking unrest, Shri Mohan Bhagwat said, “For India’s future, it is imperative to follow Gandhi’s first lesson that honesty is everything. “Honesty is not a policy, it is everything.”
On Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas and his books, Shri Mohan Bhagwat said whatever great personalities say or do is according to circumstances. “If we try to take it literally, it will not remain relevant. Whatever Gandhiji said or did, even in his time, people had different views on it. Now if you go into that, you will get confused… we cannot carbon copy his deeds and ideas. Even Gandhiji would have stopped us. But the philosophy based on which Gandhiji formulated his ideas needs to be followed,” he said.
Speaking about the contribution Mahatma Gandhi made to the freedom struggle and beyond, Shri Mohan Bhagwat said, "Gandhiji did not only initiate the freedom struggle, the direction that is needed to change the future of a country, that direction has come out comprehensively through him. If you read Gandhi's ‘Hind Swaraj’ you'll see he had a view of what India should do after getting rid of the British. This is the reason to remember Gandhi today. As we have gained independence but continue to face problems."
Describing Gandhi as a "saint", the RSS chief said he was the voice of India in his times and always emphasised on development which centred around human beings.
Speaking about truth and fearlessness, Dr. Subhash Kashyap former Member of Parliament and Constitutional expert said that truth and purity alone can triumph only when the intention for good will for others is within one’s action. Calling politicians as ‘extravagant’ and ‘no less than Mughals’, Dr. Kashyap said the new parliament building on which a large amount of money will be spent is against the ideals of Mahtama Gandhi. "The new parliament building will further widen the gulf between the parliament and the poor man's hut as money which should be utilised for the poor will be used for this building”. While he appreciated the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Dr. Kashyap said that a campaign to clean the country has started but it's not known when a campaign will be started to clean politics.
Earlier Director GSDS, Shri Dipanker Shri Gyan felicitated the RSS Chief Shri Mohan Bhagwat with a shawl and a statue of Mahatma Gandhi. He also felicitated Dr. Subhash Kashyap and Prof. J S Rajput.
The programme began with an invocation Vaishnava Jana tau by students from Tansen Sangeet Vidyalaya Nazafgarh led by Shri Jyoti Prakash Mishra. They also performed Vande Mataram at the end of the programme.