RSS Chief Speaks Out

We find that those who live outside India, Bharat, are more awakened as far as identity is concerned. When the RSS started in India, people used to say, "You can call us a donkey, but please do not call us a Hindu!' That was the inferiority complex the Hindus inculcated because of the politics and British machinations. After 75 years of efforts by the RSS, the consciousness of our brilliant past as Hindus has risen. We realized that we could not protect our independence unless we consolidated and became filled with patriotic feelings for our country. The Vedas say: "Walk in unison, talk in unison, let our minds think alike." In the middle, we had forgotten ourselves, and therefore we had to remain subjugated for about 800 years--now we have to come up! Now Hindus say, "We are proud to be Hindus!" The Western worldview is based on four principals: struggle for existence, survival of the fittest, exploitation of nature and individual rights. Western socio-economic systems have evolved from this paradigm. The Hindu paradigm does not share these principals. We do not believe in a struggle for existence because we say Sarvam Kalavitham Brahma, meaning "All is Brahma." The whole creation is a manifestation of Brahma. There is perfect harmony everywhere, if ignorance is removed. We are a manifestation of the same ultimate reality. Next, we do not believe in the survival of the fittest. We say Sarve Bhavanthu Sukhinah, meaning "Let everyone be happy." It is the duty of the strong to see that the weak also are able to live. Third, we do not believe in exploitation of nature. Nature has enough to meet our needs, but not our greed. We have to think of nature as our mother. Man has exploited nature; now nature finds it difficult to replenish itself. Fourth, we do not believe in individual rights without a corresponding duty. We are part of a family and society. Most of the incidents that had been related in the press did not happen at all! They said that in Rajkot a Bible was burnt. In a convent school, Bibles were distributed to all the children there and they were asked to sign the last page, where it was written, "I am a sinner. I want to absolve myself of sin and therefore I want to accept the guidance of Christ." Our Bajrang Dal people came to know of this and asked the headmaster why the Bible was distributed to Hindus students and why they were required to sign it. The headmaster denied distributing it, saying that a multinational company was responsible. He ap