MUMBAI: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday referred to Veer Savarkar to underpin that the Hindus never tried to change someone’s ways of worship. He took a liberal stand and backed Savarkar’s theory that giving up mistakes of the predecessors did not mean showing disrespect to them.
Bhagwat was speaking here after releasing a book on Savarkar’s late nephew Vikram. Taking cognisance of the ongoing debate in the country on religion Bhagwat said, “Dharm (religion) does not mean puja (worship). A nice combination of one’s nature and his duties is called a dharm. Following a dharm means a thought that myself as well as the world should live happily.”
Citing Savarkar’s thoughts he said, “Hindus never believed that puja was important in dharm. We learnt it from the Islamic intruders. The world does not believe that everyone has a freedom of puja. We never before this tried to change someone’s puja.” He mentioned Savarkar’s address to remain up-to-date. “It is wrong to say that we disrespect predecessors if we rectify their mistakes. Everyone should perform his duties according to his nature. The origin of a strong nation is in its social unity. If we behave in this direction a change is bound to happen,” Bhagwat said.
Bhagwat had recently said conversion was the motive behind Mother Teresa’s service to the poor. And the Rajya Sabha was on Thursday forced to adjourn, after the Opposition trooped to the Well of the House over RSS chief’s remarks on the Nobel laureate.