Dr Bhagwat for 3 children per Indian family

 

 

RASHTRIYA Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat urged every Indian couple to have three children while answering questions of audiences during a programme “100 Varsh ki Sangh Yatra” on Thursday, emphasising the need to maintain a sustainable fertility rate to prevent community extinction and ensure national stability. His remarks addressed growing concerns over demographic changes and population control, framing the issue as crucial for India’s future. RSS chief highlighted expert opinions that communities with a fertility rate below three gradually diminish. “Experts say communities with a birth rate of less than three slowly go extinct. So, a birth rate of over three should be maintained; this happens in all countries,” he stated. Drawing from medical advice, the RSS leader noted that marrying at the appropriate age and having three children promotes health for both parents and offspring.

 

Bhagwat also cited conversion and illegal migration as key reasons behind demographic imbalance and said while the Government is trying to curb illegal immigration, society also needs to do its part. Responding to a question during the centenary celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Bhagwat asserted that religion is by individual choice and there should be no allurement or force in this. “Conversion and illegal migration are key reasons for demographic imbalance. We should not give jobs to illegal immigrants; we should give jobs to our own people, including Muslims,” he said. The RSS Sarsanghchalak was asked about the Sangh’s view on illegal infiltration. Bhagwat on Thursday said Artificial Intelligence (AI) can learn languages and asked whether it can understand emotions. He said the Sangh does not believe in attacking anyone, including on religious grounds, and asserted that Hindu thinking does not say that Islam won’t be there.

 

“Hindus are insecure due to a lack of confidence. No Hindu thinks there will be no Islam. We are one nation first... The RSS doesn’t believe in attacking anyone, including on religious lines,” he said. Bhagwat also asserted that roads and places should not be named after ‘aggressors’. “I am not saying they should not be named after Muslims, but they should not be named after aggressors,” he said. Bhagwat said the RSS fully supports Constitutionally-mandated reservation policies and will support them till the time it is required. On the caste system, the RSS chief said whatever is outdated is bound to go. “The caste system was there once, but has no relevance today. Caste is no longer a system; it is outdated, and it has to go.” He asserted he had never stated that he would retire or someone else should retire at 75. The comments by Bhagwat put at rest speculation over his recent remarks on retirement of leaders which was seen as a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

 

Both Modi and Bhagwat turn 75 next month. “We are ready to retire anytime in life and ready to work as long as Sangh wants us to work,” Bhagwat said responding to questions. Ram temple was the only movement that the Sangh supported, and it will not back any other such campaign, including the one for the Kashi-Mathura reclamation, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat announced on Thursday. He asserted that there are no differences or quarrels between the BJP and the Sangh, saying that there could be ‘difference of opinion’ as attempts are made to achieve the goals of the country, but there was no ‘manbhed (heart-to-heart differences)’. Bhagwat said that the Sangh had good coordination with every Government, not only the current one.

 

Dr Bhagwat on Thursday exhorted the integration of Gurukul education with mainstream education, saying the former is not about living in an ashram but learning about the country’s traditions. Responding to a question during the centenary celebrations of the RSS, Bhagwat said he is not in favour of making Sanskrit compulsory but it is important to understand the tradition and history of the country. “The 64 aspects of the Vedic era that are relevant should be taught. Gurukul education should be integrated into the mainstream, not replaced,” he said. The RSS Sarsanghchalak said the mainstream should be linked with Gurukul education, whose model is similar to the education model in Finland. “In Finland, which is a leading country in education, there is a separate university for training teachers. Many people come from abroad because the local population is small, so they accept students from all countries. “Education up to the eighth grade is conducted in the mother tongue of the students... So Gurukul education is not about going and living in an ashram, it has to be linked with mainstream,” he said.

 

Lauding the new National Education Policy (NEP) as the right step in the right direction, Bhagwat said the education system in our country was destroyed long ago. “A new education system was introduced because we always remained in slavery to the foreign invaders who were the kings of those times. They wanted to rule this country and not develop it. So they made all the systems keeping in mind how we can rule this country... But now we are free. So we don’t just have to run the state, we have to run the people,” he said. The RSS chief said the mindset should be built, all the information needed should be given to the children about the past, so that pride can be instilled in the children that “we are also something, we can also do it”. “We have shown that. All this had to change. A little bit has happened in the last few years and its awareness has increased,” he said.