Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Sunday described caste-based discrimination as a “stigma on Hindu society” and called for its elimination through changes in individual conduct, saying discrimination based on birth was not part of Hindu culture.
Addressing an RSS gathering in Bhopal, Hosabale said there should be no discrimination among people and stressed that everyone was a child of “Mother India” and God. He said practices carried out in the name of caste weakened society and urged people to begin addressing discrimination in their own lives and homes.
‘Weakens society’
Hosabale said discrimination based on a person’s birth had no place in Hindu culture and argued that discriminatory practices associated with caste weakened society from within.
“We are all children of Mother India. We are all children of God. Therefore, there should be no discrimination of any kind among humans,” he said. He said various forms of discriminatory behaviour carried out in the name of caste “weaken, debilitate and hollow out society”, and called upon people who thought selflessly about the country to lead by example. Hosabale said change should begin with an individual’s behaviour, everyday life and family rather than remain limited to public declarations.
Calls for personal resolve
The RSS leader urged people to make a personal commitment not to discriminate on the basis of caste. “We will not discriminate on the basis of caste. This is a stigma on Hindu society. We need to be free from this stigma,” he said.
Hosabale argued that laws and sermons alone would not be sufficient to eliminate caste discrimination and said social change ultimately depended on how individuals conducted themselves. “This will not happen through law, through the mere incarnation of God, or through someone’s preaching. It will happen through our own conduct,” he said, urging people to take a resolve and move forward.
Focus on social harmony
Hosabale’s remarks came during an RSS programme in Bhopal as the organisation marks its centenary year. Social harmony is among the issues the RSS has been emphasising through its outreach programmes.
A day earlier, Hosabale had also spoken in Bhopal about dignity of labour and equal opportunities, arguing that a person’s social or economic circumstances should not determine the limits of their future. He had said society needed to ensure that people from weaker sections received practical support in areas such as education, healthcare and employment, while stressing that an individual should not be considered inferior because of the work they perform.
Sunday’s remarks placed caste discrimination at the centre of that wider call for social harmony, with Hosabale arguing that eliminating discriminatory behaviour required changes at the level of individuals, families and society.