NEW DELHI: Dattatreya Hosabale, the general secretary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, second only to Mohan Bhagwat, said on Tuesday that India must continue to respond firmly against Pakistan and its support for cross-border terrorism. However, he maintained that the government should keep doors open for dialogue.
Backing his argument, Hosabale referred to initiatives taken during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who, he said, had pursued diplomacy while simultaneously taking a stand against terrorism. He noted that Vajpayee had travelled to Lahore by bus as part of efforts to maintain engagement with Pakistan despite tensions.
“Now, everything has been tried, but more such efforts should continue. Atal ji tried to engage them in dialogue. He went to Lahore by bus, and many things have happened. Our [current] prime minister also invited Pakistan at the time of taking oath,” he remarked in a podcast with PTI.
Hosabale described Pakistan as a “pinprick”, saying, “If Pakistan is like a pinprick, trying to create incidents like Pulwama, etc., we have to answer appropriately according to the situation, because the security and self-respect of a country and nation have to be protected, and the government of the day should take note of it and take care of it.”
At the same time, he stressed that India should not completely shut the door on engagement. “We should always be ready to engage in dialogue. That is why diplomatic relations are maintained, trade and commerce continue, and visas are being given. So we should not stop these, because there should always be a window for dialogue,” he asserted, adding that sporting ties between the two nations should also continue.
Describing the possible resumption of sporting exchanges as a sign of hope, he said: “This is the one hope I think, because I believe strongly that ultimately the civil society relations will work. Because we have a cultural relation and we have been one nation.” He further emphasised that while there should be no leniency towards terrorism, space for dialogue must continue to exist.
The RSS general secretary’s remarks come at a time when relations between India and Pakistan have become increasingly strained following the Pahalgam attack, which subsequently led to Operation Sindoor.