‘Scrapping 370 will integrate Kashmiris with rest of nation’
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 24: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said today that abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India by Narendra Modi Government which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir will help integrate Kashmiris with rest of the country and called for allaying fears among the people of the State on losing land and jobs (following scrapping of the special Constitutional provisions).
Bhagwat is reported to have stated this while inter-acting with 80 foreign media journalists in the Union capital.
An RSS statement said Mohan Bhagwat’s inter-action with foreign media was part of the continuous process where the RSS chief engages in constructive dialogue with the people from different walks of the society.
“The fears among the people of Jammu and Kashmir that they will lose land and jobs after abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A provisions should be allayed,” Bhagwat is reported to have said, according to sources.
However, he said, putting an end to special status of Jammu and Kashmir with the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A will help integrate Kashmiris with rest of the country.
“Kashmiris were earlier alienated but the repeal of the provisions of Article 370 will remove the barriers which existed between people of Jammu and Kashmir and rest of India,” the RSS chief was reported to have said.
The RSS, like the BJP, had been strong votary of abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A in Jammu and Kashmir for complete integration of the State with rest of the country. Scrapping of the Constitutional provisions of Jammu and Kashmir was long pending demand of the RSS.
Statement of the RSS chief on allaying fears of the people of Jammu and Kashmir on losing land and jobs following abrogation of special Constitutional provisions of the State on August 5 by the Narendra Modi Government and the Parliament assumed significance as certain sections had been claiming that “outsiders” will grab jobs and land in the State.
Sources said the statement was an indication that the Government should educate and aware the people about benefits of abrogation of Articles 370 and 35-A to remove fears among some sections of people on land and jobs.
On the issue of National Register of Citizens in Assam, Bhagwat is reported to have said it’s not about expelling people but about identifying the citizens.
“There is no place for Hindus in the world except India,” sources said quoting him.
Asked about homosexuality, an issue on which the view of the Hindutva organization has evolved over time, Bhagwat said it’s a “variation” and not an “abnormality”.
“They should be treated as equal human beings and integrated into society,” the RSS chief said.
About incidents of mob lynching, Bhagwat said the RSS condemns all forms of violence and its volunteers should try to stop such incidents.
“If a swayamsevak is found guilty, we will disown him and law should follow its own course,” he said.
Bhagwat, under whose stewardship the RSS has opened up comparatively, also told foreign journalists that his organization will never be a political body and “the Hindutva it espouses is about unity in diversity”.
To a question about economy which has seen a slowdown, Bhagwat said that there was “no policy paralysis” since Narendra Modi became Prime Minister but added that the RSS is not an expert on the issue, sources said.
The interaction lasted for around two-and-a-half hours. It started with brief introduction given by Bhagwat, followed by a question-and-answer session covering a wide range of issues across the spectrum, according to the statement by the RSS.
Around 80 journalists representing more than 50 organizations and hailing from 30 countries attended the interaction, it said.
RSS general secretary Suresh (Bhaiyyaji) Joshi, joint general secretary Manmohan Vaidya, Krishan Gopal, RSS northern region in-charge Bajrang Lal Gupt and its Delhi unit head Kulbhushan Ahuja were also present in the interaction programme.
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