Addressing an RSS event in Nagpur, Bhagwat stressed the need to abandon election campaign rhetoric and focus on the country's issues. He also said that a true sevak should not be "arrogant".
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Mohan Bhagwat expressed concern over the ongoing unrest in Manipur following the outbreak of violence in May last year and stressed the need to establish peace in the northeastern state.
Addressing a group of RSS leaders and trainees in Nagpur, Bhagwat also spoke about the qualities that a true sevak should possess. He said a sevak should be proud of his work but also be "detached" and "free from arrogance".
The RSS chief said the Manipur issue should be given "priority". Manipur had been waiting for peace for a year. It had been peaceful for 10 years. It seemed as if the old gun culture had ended. And suddenly, the conflicts that were created or instigated there are still stoking their fires and crying out for help. Who will pay attention to this? It is our duty to give this top priority," he said.
Speaking for the second time on the issue since violence erupted in the state, Bhagwat also stressed the need to move away from election campaign rhetoric and focus on the issues facing the country.
The RSS chief also stressed that elections should not be viewed as a "war".
"Elections are a consensus-building process. "We have a system where both sides of an issue are represented in a like-minded parliament. Of course, it is difficult to reach such an agreement among people who came there through cut-throat competition. That's why we have to rely on the majority. All contestants have the same goal. But this is a competition, not a war," Bhagwat said.
He continued: "The way things happened, how factions reached the lower ranks, the impact of divisive election strategies, the social and psychological fault lines are completely ignored and organisations like the RSS are needlessly drawn into the same. Technology has spread lies, absolute lies. Are technology and knowledge synonymous?"
"We need to move away from the excitement of elections and think about the problems facing the country," he said.
The RSS "has done our job to galvanise public opinion," the organisation's chief said. "True servants observe decorum." One must perform one's duties efficiently. To strive but not succumb, that is our instinct," he added.
"The people have been given their mission and everything will happen accordingly. Why? How? "The Sangh is not interfering in this," he said.
Bhagwat added that the Sangh tries to shape public opinion after every election and is not obsessed with analysing the results.
On the importance of the opposition, Bhagwat said: "They are the opposition showing a side. Their views should also be made known."
"Virodhi ke jaga pratipaksh kaha je," he said.
"There are two sides, they call it the other side, I call it the other side. He is not an adversary, he should not be seen as an adversary. Woh pratipaksh hai, that means highlighting one side (of the issue)," Bhagwat said.
"That too needs to be taken into consideration. If we have to do something like this... there should be some decency in participating in elections. This courtesy was not observed. Its implementation is necessary as the challenges facing our country are yet to be resolved," he added.
"The same government i.e. the NDA is back in power. It is true that a lot of positive things have happened in the last 10 years... We have progressed in many areas be it economy, defence strategy, sports, culture and technology. But that does not mean that we are now free from challenges..." Bhagwat said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party suffered a defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in Manipur. Both seats in the state ruled by BJP's Biren Singh were elected to the Assembly.
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The RSS chief said: "This is the essence of democracy. Like Dr. Ambedkar, spiritual regeneration is essential for great change."
He said a true servant (sevak) is one who does his job but is not proud of having done it. "Do your job but don't be proud of the work you have done," he told RSS members.
"One who observes the bounds of decorum in the performance of his duties, who takes pride in his work but is not attached and has no arrogance - such a person really, in the true sense of the word, deserves to be called a sevak," he added.
Bhagwat acknowledged that "thousands of years of discriminatory practices have created division and even a form of anger."
"Competition is inevitable in elections." People try to push others into the background, but there is a certain dignity in that too. Lies should not be used. The people are elected to sit in parliament and govern our country,” he said.
He said: “Go to parliament and form a consensus on various issues. Our tradition is to form a consensus... Rigvedic rishis understood the human mind... Therefore, they accepted that there can be no 100% unanimity, but still, when society decides on a ‘consensus of opinion’, it becomes a sarchitta. The problem with external ideologies is that they believe they are the only guardians of correctness. ”
"Even the religions and ideas that came into Bharat were followed by some people for various reasons. But there is nothing wrong with our culture because of that. We need to give up the idea that only we are right and others are wrong," he said.
"By thinking, understanding, removing the distortions that have developed over time and realising that opinions and ways can differ. All can be different. We have to consider this country ours, have a committed relationship with it and act with the realisation that all its sons are our brothers," Bhagwat said. "But injustice happens and distance is created between people."
"One thing is to put aside the idea that you are right and everyone else is wrong. There is no need to proselytise or anything like that. All opinions are right and everyone is equal so it's better to stick to your opinion. Respect the opinions of others equally,” he added.
