Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said that issues such as what the organisation describes as “love jihad” should first be addressed within homes and families, stressing that regular communication between family members is key to preventing such situations. He also projected women’s empowerment, social harmony and tribal outreach as central to the RSS’s social and ideological approach.
Bhagwat was speaking at two outreach programmes in Bhopal, the Stree Shakti Samvad and the Samajik Sadbhav Sammelan, as part of the RSS’s wider engagement with women and tribal communities in Madhya Pradesh.
“Dharma, culture and civilisation remain secure because of women,” Bhagwat said, adding that the time had passed when women were confined to homes in the name of protection. “Today, society moves forward when both women and men progress together with awareness, confidence and values,” he said.
Referring to “love jihad”, Bhagwat said families must reflect on their own role. “We must ask how a daughter from our own family could be misled. Often, the root cause is the lack of communication within families,” he said. He argued that regular dialogue at home helps build respect for culture, religion and tradition.
The RSS chief outlined three steps to deal with the issue. These include constant communication within families, building self-confidence and self-defence skills among young girls, and strict and quick action against those found guilty. He also said social organisations must remain alert and that society should respond collectively to such incidents.
This story was originally published in theobserverpost.com. Read the full story here.