New Delhi: In an apparent reference to the recent Tablighi Jamaat congregation that is said to have resulted in a surge in coronavirus cases, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said that we should not alienate a community due to the mistakes but must remain wary of forces inimical to India's interests taking advantage of the situation.
"It was the responsibility of the administration to keep the law and order in check. We need to keep in mind that if out of fear some people did not follow what was expected of them then don’t distance or blame the entire community," Bhagwat said in an online address to the Sangh's workers.
But he immediately followed it up by saying that there are "anti-India forces" who are waiting to use the pandemic to break the country. “Out of their own selfish interest the people who believe in Bharat tere tukde honge are at work,” he added.
The RSS chief said people should stay away from this as coronavirus requires cooperation, not revolt. “At this hour we have to be strong and have no enmity among people. We are all brothers,” he told the Sangh members.
The statement comes as the Muslim missionary group's congregation held in mid-march was blamed for a surge in in coronavirus cases, triggering a wave of violence, business boycotts and hate speech toward the community.
According to government numbers, about one in five cases registered so far have been linked to the missionary meeting.
Calling the situation caused by coronavirus unprecedented, Bhagwat said handling it requires the guiding hand of community leaders.
“If we don’t do this, then what will happen? The same thing that happened in Palghar, where two sanyasis were murdered,” he said, referring to the lynching of two sadhus in Maharashtra by a vigilante group after they were mistaken to be thieves.
“We have to defeat such forces as one, defeat anger. The sanyasis were beaten to death… they were the followers of religion and humanity. We are all aggrieved with what happened. We will pay our respects to them,” he said, adding that police should not have allowed it to happen
He said the RSS with join other outfits in paying tributes to the two sadhus on April 28.
Bhagwat said that In the aftermath of this crisis, a new phase of rebuilding the nation will be started, and "we have have to come up with our new model of development which makes us self-reliant".
Pitching for Swadeshi model in days ahead, Bhagwat urged the people to maximise the use of indigenous goods and try to live without using imported items.
ride over the current situation and meet future challenges, Bhagwat said politics that thinks about the nation first, an education system that provides 'samskar' (values) and the best possible behaviour of the citizens themselves are essential.
Comments
0 comment