Kolkata: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat Monday said that the goals of the Sangh and that of Netaji are quite similar. The RSS head was paying tributes to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on his 126th birth anniversary at a rally in Kolkata's Shahid Minar. His comments come at a time when critics pointed out that Netaji believed in secularism which is "against the 'hindutva' ideology of the RSS".
Speaking at the event to commemorate Netaji's courage and dedication to the nation, he hailed his sacrifice to India's freedom struggle. Bhagwat said that Indians exist today because of his sacrifice to the country and so Indians need to take his dreams forward. He urged everyone to imbibe the qualities and teachings of Bose and work towards making the country "vishwa guru" (world leader).
"We remember Netaji not only because we are grateful to him for his valuable contributions towards the freedom struggle but also to ensure that we also imbibe his qualities. His dream of India which he wanted to build is still not fulfilled. We have to work to achieve it," he said. Situations and paths might differ, but the destination remains the same, Bhagwat said.
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"Subhas babu (Netaji) was first associated with the Congress and followed its path of satygraha', and andolon', but when he realised that this was not enough and there was a need for freedom struggle, he worked towards it. Paths differ but the goals are the same," he explained. "We have Subhasbabu's ideals in front of us to follow. The goals he had are our goals too... Netaji had said India is a smaller version of the world and India has to provide relief to the world. We all have to work towards it," the RSS chief said.
The RSS which is also considered the ideological fountainhead of the ruling BJP has organised programmes in many places on the occasion of Netaji's birth anniversary. A day ahead of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's 126th birth anniversary, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Sunday said the freedom fighter's ideas and ideals will continue to remain relevant in one way or the other. Hosabale was speaking at a programme jointly organised by Intellectual Forum of North East-Manipur and GP Women's College.
In the wake of the controversial rally Subhas Chandra Bose's daughter Anita Bose Pfaff on Sunday noted that the freedom fighter believed in equal rights for all, irrespective of their gender, religion, caste and social position. Bose Pfaff said that her father was a deeply religious person but wanted India to be a secular state. In a statement issued from Germany, she pointed out, "Members of all parties, across the entire political spectrum, parties who share his ideas and his ideology and those who do not, pay tribute to him and thank him for his sacrifice for India."
