NEW DELHI: If given the right opportunity, Padmashree Santosh Yadav, who is the first woman mountaineer in the world to conquer the Mount Everest twice, may take a plunge into politics. Yadav, who was recently invited to join the dais with RSS chief Mhan Bhagwat at the organisation’s yearly Vijay Dashmi event, told this newspaper that she would like to serve as the daughter of the nation in whichever role that may come her way.
When reminded of criticism being hurled at her for attending a RSS event, she said that she doesn’t see any reason why she didn’t have to attend such a function. She said that the RSS is working for the betterment of the nation. She also vehemently rejected that the Sangh is anti-woman.
“How can the RSS be called an anti-woman outfit when Mother India is guiding the Sangh? The Sangh invited me, a woman, to its most important programme as a special guest. Doesn’t it show that the Sangh is not anti-woman at all? Rather, the Sangh stands for all-round empowerment of women in our society,” she said.
She also supported the Sangh’s concern of rising population in the country. “India now needs a collective concern on population control related policy. A chapter on population growth and its impacts on development should be included in the curricula of both schools and colleges with a wider emphasis on the ‘pre-natal’ cares,” she said.
Speaking on the contention issue of the “imposition of Hindi language”, she said: “There should not be any contention or prejudice against any language. Hindi is widely spoken, but I think Sanskrit should be made the India’s soul and national language,” she said.