MUMBAI: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s interaction and comments over the recent student agitation, at the 15th anniversary of India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN), a youth body, was seen as the first of Sangh’s outreach programmes aimed at Gen Z. “Protest is a way of dialogue. If a thing that you are saying is not heard, then you can protest. But it should be to create consensus not divide,” he said, adding “agitations should aim for system correction rather than targeting individuals.”Bhagwat advocated a hike in education budgets, better ties with Pakistan, and fewer bans on social media. He said the country’s development model needed to be altered to fight climate change. Backing demands for a hike in govt’s expenditure on education, he said, “6% spending of the budget is long pending.”When asked how India should regulate social media given that some nations were restricting access to children below 16, Bhagwat said he opposed prohibitions. “If you ban things they simply go into illegal market and are further proliferated.”The RSS chief said there was a need to uphold traditional family structures while creating space for same-sex relationships. He said while Indian society has a tradition of accommodating non-binary individuals, the traditional marriage framework must be unchanged. “We must not tamper with the vivaah system,” he said, but suggested that “a system should be created for them (same-sex relationships). A law should be made as to how they can stay together, this should not be mixed with marriage.“Discussing if dialogue should be maintained with Pakistan and China, Bhagwat said during conflict, citizens must align with govt directives, but long-term ties should not be permanently severed. “Pakistan was just a part of India less than 100 years ago. Pakistan, as a whole, is not the enemy of Indians.”Explaining the absence of women in the RSS apex decision-making body, Bhagwat said “the women’s body have themselves opted to remain independent and can join the main body whenever they choose to withdraw that mandate”.On economic disparities and employment, Bhagwat cited a societal lack of respect for manual work as the cause for intense competition for govt jobs despite shortages in other fields. “Our society has no dignity for labour, that’s why people run behind govt jobs,” he said. He said, “reservation will continue till society discriminates.”
