Ghar wapsi ‘thrust’ area: RSS chief says help those who want to ‘come back’ to Hinduism

Addressing the concluding session of the ABPS on Sunday, Bhagwat reportedly said dharma jagran has been among the Sangh’s thrust areas and will go on. According to the sources, he said the British had started conversion of Hindus since the 14th century and now that “people want to come back to Hinduism”, swayamsewaks have to help that happen. He reportedly cautioned swayamsewaks, however, to do their work while keeping out of the limelight.

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For kutumb prabodhan, Bhagwat is said to have told swayamsewaks to follow in their own families the same values that they expect others to adopt. Kutumb prabodhan involves swayamsewaks approaching a family and getting all its members to sit together at least once a day. Samajik samrasta is something the RSS has repeatedly stressed earlier too. The Sangh has held several programmes in the last few years and organised conferences of leaders of several castes.

At a time when the RSS-backed BJP is running its first majority government of its own at the Centre, the RSS chief is said to have cautioned swayamsewaks to keep away from lokpriyata, or popularity. “Rajneeti mein lokpriyata mil jaati hai to log use banaye rakhne ke liye kai baar correct nahi, corrupt raaste apnata hai. (In politics once people get popularity they often adopt corrupt rather than correct ways),” he reportedly said. The sources described Bhagwat as having said that it is not a swayamsewak’s job to try to become popular but to focus on their assigned tasks.

Starting June 21, recently declared as International Yoga Day by the United Nations, the RSS will observe its own Yoga Week. Swayamsewaks will promote yoga through its shakhas and expect that yoga, in turn, will help the shakhas spread.

The sources said Bhagwat noted that new people want to join the Sangh but advised swayamsewaks to be cautious while inducting them. “We must keep testing them once they have entered,” he reportedly said. The sources added that he said society wants to hand over leadership to the RSS and that he asked swayamsewaks to be prepared for that.