New Delhi: With RSS supremo Mohan Bhagwat favouring a review of country’s population policy, the RSS on Friday said the policy should be “religion neutral”.
Citing Census figures of population growth of minorities, the RSS insisted that the reviewed policy should be acceptable to all and persuasion through education should be its primary focus on population control. The RSS said even Holy Quran has many verses which favour small families for those who cannot afford to raise big ones. The RSS has demanded that the government should create a National Citizenship Register and work permit should be given to “foreigners.” The population policy issue had dominated the recently concluded meeting of the RSS which was held in Ranchi.
After Mr Bhagwat’s remarks on reservation created a major political controversy, the RSS said it favours current reservation policy, but stressed that it should not be based on religion as it will be against the spirit of Constitution.
“We want persuasion through education. Our members of the Muslim Rashtriya Manch have made studies and found quotations from the Quran, where it has been stated that if you are unable to rear your family, its size should be kept small and should be limited to what you can raise... We feel it is a sage advice. It is a correct advice. This is the correct advice for every section of society. There is no other policy other than persuasion and we don’t want to repeat the Emergency days when things were done by force. Persuasion is the right way to do it,” RSS leader Alok Kumar said. He said population policy should be religion-neutral but steps need to be taken to check the imbalances.
He said all sections, especially the low-earning ones, should understand that small family is for their good, adding that the Sangh will work on this and hoped the government will agree to its demands in taking effective steps to control population and remove imbalances. On minorities, the RSS leader said the views of RSS are very clear as it feels that all citizens of the country enjoy equal fundamental rights.
Citing illegal occupation in border states, including Assam, the RSS said “foreigners” should not be allowed to vote as they effect the “balance of power” and become part of the “votebank politics.”
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