Keep national security in mind while taking a call on Rohingyas: RSS chief

Nagpur: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday asked the Centre to keep national security in mind while taking a decision on Rohingyas and alleged that they were driven out of Myanmar mainly due to their violent separatist activities and links with terror groups.

In his over-an-hour-long Vijayadashmi address from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters here, Bhagwat flagged a number of issues like illegal immigrants, cow vigilantism, situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the economic scenario.

He accused the Kerala government of lending a "helping hand to anti-national for forces for petty political interest".

Bhagwat called for necessary constitutional amendments for complete assimilation of the people of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country. He also praised the Centre over the handling of the Dokalam issue with China.

Bhagwat said, "We have been facing the problem of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and now Rohingyas have infiltrated into our country."

"Rohingyas, who were chased away from Myanmar, have infiltrated into the country and many more are ready to migrate illegally. They are being driven out of Myanmar mainly due to their continuous violent and criminal separatists activities and links with the terrorist groups," he said.

Giving shelter to Rohingyas will not only put pressure on our jobs, but also pose a threat to national security, he said.

"Any decision regarding Rohingyas should be taken keeping in mind the threat to national security...Any decision regarding them should be taken keeping in mind that they will definitely be a threat to national security and integrity," the RSS chief added

Senior BJP leader L K Advani and Union minister Nitin Gadkari were present on the occasion. Dalit religious leader Baba Nirmal Das, who was expected to be the chief guest, could not attend the event as he was indisposed. His message was read out at the event.

Referring to the issue of cow vigilantism, Bhagwat said "it is reprehensible that some people have been killed allegedly by gaurakshaks".

"At the same time, many people have been killed by cow smugglers," he said.

Bhagwat said the issue of cow protection is beyond religion and "many Muslims have sacrificed their life for protection of the cow just as people of Bajrang Dal have".

He noted that problems of the people, who were displaced from the Kashmir Valley in 1990s, are yet to be addressed.

"Necessary constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed in that state. Only when the constitutional amendments are done, can the residents of Jammu and Kashmir be completely assimilated with the rest of India," Bhagwat said, apparently hinting at Article 370 which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

There is an urgent need to take the benefits of development to the masses in the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir, including Jammu and Ladakh regions, without any discrimination and through transparent and clean governance, he said.

"The problem of refugees is still not resolved in the state. For decades together, their generations are living in a miserable state as refugees for their decision to be in Bharat and remain as Hindu.

"Despite being the citizens of Bharat, they still don't have basic facilities of education, employment and democratic rights," Bhagwat said.

"The problems of permanent residents of the state, who migrated from the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in 1947 and the people who were displaced from Kashmir Valley in 1990 remain as they were," he said.

Bhagwat said conditions should be created "so that our brothers can lead a happy, dignified and secure life like other Indians, by ensuring them equal democratic rights, even while remaining firm and devoted to their religion and national identity".

"And for this just work, necessary constitutional amendments will have to be made and old provisions will have to be changed. Then and only then, the residents of Jammu and Kashmir can be completely assimilated with the rest of India and their equal cooperation and share will be possible in the national progress," Bhagwat said.

Coming out in support of the citizens living in border areas, who are "bravely and persistently holding ground amid incessant cross border firing and terrorists infiltration", he called for relief and assistance for them from the government, administration and different social groups.

Nagpur: Observing that farmers were in "pain", RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Saturday that steps taken by governments such as loan waiver were temporary measures and not a solution to the problem.

The RSS chief also asserted that while reforming and cleaning the economic systems, some tremors and instability were expected but the "informal economy" should feel the minimum heat and should get the maximum strength.

Bhagwat, while speaking at the annual Dussehra event of the RSS here, said that the Niti Aayog and the economic advisers of the states will have to come out of the "same old economic 'isms'" and integrate up-to-date economic experiences with the country's ground reality.

Highlighting the plight of the farmers, Bhagwat said, "Our farmer, who feeds not just his family but the entire nation, is in pain today. He is depressed after facing the onslaught of floods and droughts, export-import policy, meagre pricing, mounting loans and losing everything once the crop is ruined."

He said there was a growing sentiment that the new generation will either become urban educated unemployed or working in farms will disrupt education that will force them to be in villages that are "without any facilities".

Noting that appreciable schemes such as crop insurance, soil testing and e-marketing of agricultural products were being introduced, Bhagwat said the Union and state governments should be more vigilant to ensure effective implementation of these schemes on the ground.

"The measures like loan waivers are also signs of sensitivity and goodwill of the governments, but these temporary measures are not solution to the problem," the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief said.

Significantly, BJP governments in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh had announced loan waiver for farmers earlier this year.

Bhagwat stressed that new technology should be adopted and traditional, non-polluting methods should be amalgamated for farmers so that they can do farming with low investment and without getting into a debt trap.

New technology should be adopted only after ensuring that it does not have any adverse long-term impact on the health of soil, environment and human beings, Bhagwat said.

"Farmers should get the minimum price with a profit range over his investment, so that he can bear his family expenditure and save some capital for the next year's farming," he said.