One must understand definition of Sanatan Dharma before making disparaging statements: RSS leader

Pune: Those talking about eradicating Sanatan Dharma must first understand the definition of the term before making such statements, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's joint general secretary Manmohan Vaidya said on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference at the end of the day's deliberations as part of the RSS' coordination meet here, Vaidya. who is the outfit's 'sah sarkaryawah', asserted India is a spiritual democracy.

Recently, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leaders Udhayanidhi Stalin and A Raja had claimed Sanatan Dharma had sown divisions in society and must be eradicated on the lines of diseases like dengue, malaria and coronavirus.

Queried about these statements, Vaidya said, "Some people are talking about finishing Sanatan Dharma, but do these people know the real meaning of all these words? They should understand the definition of Sanatan Dharma before using these words."

"The meaning of Sanatan is eternal, which is the base of India's spiritual lifestyle and which is internally holistic. Because of this, the personality of India has got shape," the senior RSS functionary claimed.

Brushing aside the comments made by the DMK leaders as "political", he said several people through the course of history have tried to finish off Sanatan Dharma but failed.

"Lord Krishna had said that whenever there will be trouble for Dharma, he will come to reinforce it. The RSS is following the same path," Vaidya said.

Asked for his opinion on the India versus Bharat debate currently underway, Vaidya said the name Bharat has a "civilizational value".

"There is no other country which has two names and that is why Bharat should be called Bharat," he claimed.

Speaking about the three-day conclave here, Vaidya said a wide range of topics were discussed by the 250 representatives from 36 RSS-affiliated outfits.

He said topics of discussion included women's empowerment, 'swadeshi' conduct, functioning and expansion of RSS, environment, family values and social harmony.

Asked if Manipur, which has been engulfed in sectarian violence since May 3, was discussed, he said the situation there was worrisome and added that some participants informed about the happenings.

On the issue of reservations, he said society had deprived those from the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities in terms of education, respect and reservations based on the Constitution should be given in order to take them along.

All efforts should be made to end social disparity, Vaidya added.

The other quota demands are political so no discussion took place (in the conclave) on them, he informed.

Asked about the RSS' assessment of Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA rule since 2014, he said even a British paper like Sunday Guardian had published an editorial on May 18, 2014 stating that the day "may well go down in history as the day when Britain left India".

The 2014 Lok Sabha election results were declared on May 16 and for the first time since 1984 a party (BJP) managed to garner a majority in the Lower House.

"So, if you see, after 2014 India is standing on its cultural identity slowly. India's foreign, defence and education policies witnessed major changes. The world is also sensing these changes," he claimed.

Vaidya said to correct the happenings of the last several years would take 25-30 years but everyone now feels everything is going in the right direction.