By Deeptiman Tiwary & Vikas Pathak
On the third and final day of his three-day lecture series in Delhi, RSS Sarasanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat indicated that the Sangh supported the demand that the sites of the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi and the Eidgah at Mathura be given to Hindus. Sangh swayamsevaks were free to associate themselves with any movement for these sites, and the other side could respond by giving up their claims as it was a “matter of just three”, said Bhagwat.
Thursday marked the end of the Sangh’s lecture series ‘100 Years of the Sangh’s Journey – New Horizons’, and Bhagwat took up 218 questions forwarded by those who had attended the event.
On a question regarding the Kashi-Mathura issue, Bhagwat said, “Andolan mein Sangh jaata nahin. Ek maatra andolan Ram Mandir tha jisase hum jude aur aakhir tak le gaye. Ab baaki andolan mein Sangh jayega nahin. Lekin Hindu maanas mein Kashi, Mathura, Ayodhya, teenon ka mahatwa hai. Do janmabhoomi hain, ek niwas sthan hai. Hindu samaj iska aagrah karega. Sangh iss andolan mein nahin jayega, lekin Sangh ke swayamsevak ja sakte hain. Lekin in teen ko chhod kar, maine kaha hai, har jagah mandir mat dhoondo, har jagah Shivling mat dhoondho (The Sangh does not associate itself with movements. It got associated with only the Ram temple movement, and took it to the end. Now the Sangh will not associate itself with other movements. But in the Hindu heart, Kashi, Mathura and Ayodhya, all hold importance. Two are birthplaces, and one is a residence (of God). The Hindu society will ask for them. The Sangh will not associate with this movement, but Sangh swayamsevaks can. But barring these three, as I have said, don’t look for a temple or a Shivling in every place).”
Bhagwat suggested that Muslims should willingly hand over the sites. “Main agar ye keh sakta hoon, Hindu sangathan ka pramukh, jisko swayamsewak bhi prashna poochte rehte hain, toh thoda itna bhi hona chaahiye ki, chalo bhai, teen ki baat hai, le lo. Bhaichare ke liye ek bohot bada kadam hoga (If I am saying this, being the chief of a Hindu organisation, who can be questioned by his own swayamsevaks, then there can be a little effort from that side also that, okay, it is a matter of just three, take it. This will be a big step towards brotherhood).”
In 2019, following the Ayodhya judgement awarding the site of the demolished Babri Masjid to the Hindu side for a temple, Bhagwat had indicated that the RSS would not be taking up any agitations as regards the Kashi and Mathura disputes. “The Sangh does not get involved in any andolan (movement). We work towards character building. In the past, circumstances were different, resulting in the Sangh getting involved in the movement (for Ayodhya). We will once again work for character building,” the RSS chief had said.
This story was originally published in indianexpress.com. Read the full story here.
