Mumbai: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said reservation in jobs and education for disadvantaged groups was introduced to address social discrimination and will remain in place as long as inequity existed, but beneficiaries who had progressed should mull foregoing further benefits so others could avail of the opportunities.
He insisted reservation is for upliftment of disadvantaged groups and not a permanent arrangement.
Bhagwat noted reservation was deliberately politicised, creating “bad blood” in society, and asserted that the affirmative action policy framed post-Independence was originally meant to promote social unity rather than deepen divisions.
“It (reservation) was politicised, and further created bad blood. In reality, it was introduced for social unity. The intention of the measure was wrongfully twisted by those who wield the sword intentionally. Unless that is cured, I don’t see anything,” Bhagwat said while responding to a question on quota during an interaction.
He was speaking at a gathering of around 2,000 Gen Z and Gen Aplha members at India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN) 15th anniversary event in Mumbai.
The RSS leader insisted reservation was introduced to address social discrimination and the measure would remain necessary as long as discrimination persisted.
“If honestly we follow Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s advice then there is no problem. Reservation was introduced for social discrimination. As long as social discrimination continues, reservation will exist,” he said.
Bhagwat maintained beneficiaries of reservation who had progressed should voluntarily consider foregoing further benefits so that others could also avail of the opportunities.
“There are some voices within the beneficiaries of reservation that they have received enough, now it is time to extend those benefits to others. Sub-categorisation is in demand and even the Supreme Court has stated similarly. Reservation is for upliftment and not permanent. Encourage such a stream and keep aside politics. If all measures are implemented honestly, the need for reservation would end in a shorter period. Then we will think about it,” he said.
In reply to a question, Bhagwat emphasised women and men played equal and complementary roles in society.
Explaining why women were not part of the RSS’s apex organisational structure, he said the decision stemmed from historical circumstances when a separate organisation for women, the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, was formed and had chosen to function independently.
He stressed that women associated with organisations run by RSS volunteers participated in decision-making meetings.
On employment, Bhagwat said society needed to broaden its understanding of employment beyond government jobs and accord greater dignity to skilled and manual work.
“Employment is not only jobs. We need to change the mindset. It is also entrepreneurship and skilled work. Unfortunately, society does not respect people who work with their hands. We have to regain the dignity of labour,” he said, adding several sectors faced a shortage of workers despite the availability of jobs.
Speaking on environmental protection, Bhagwat said the existing model of development was unsustainable and called for a shift to domestic development models that balanced economic growth with ecological conservation.
The RSS leader said governments functioned under multiple pressures and could not fully address environmental concerns unless society itself adopted sustainable practices.
“We are going house to house with a campaign to save water, remove plastic and plant a tree. We have to start from our homes. If we bring changes there, awareness will spread,” he said.
Among those present at the event were actor Boman Irani, industrialists Nadir Godrej, Ajay Piramal, banker Deepak Parekh, actors Ravi Dubey and J D Majethiya, choreographer Shiamak Davar, authors Amish Tripathi and Ashwin Sanghi, former Army chief Gen V P Malik, ex-ISRO chairman A S Kiran Kumar, athletes P T Usha, Saina Nehwal, music composer Leslee Lewis, former Bihar Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Nagaland Governor Nanda Kishore Yadav and former Union minister Harsh Vardhan.
