Hyderabad: General secretary of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Suresh “Bhayyaji” Joshi on Tuesday said that triple talaq was an internal matter of the Muslim community on which they should give a serious thought.
“Triple talaq is also a human rights issue. Muslim women have gone to court regarding the issue. “We believe no form of gender discrimination is right and hope that women get justice from the court on the issue,” he said.
On the Uniform Civil Code, Mr Joshi said, “Any kind of discrimination should be prevented by law. “Cultures and traditions should be respected but if they are causing any issue in society which can be resolved through implementation of the civil code, then it should be done.”
Mr Joshi was speaking to the media on the last day of the three-day Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal Baithak in Hyderabad. On allegations that the BJP government was politicising the surgical strikes conducted by the Indian Army in the aftermath of the Uri terrorist attack, Mr Joshi said that there was nothing wrong in giving credit to the Central government along with the Indian Army for the surgical strikes because it was the government that had in the first place decided to take action and the Army had executed it bravely.
Casteism, a social problem: RSS
On Indian filmmakers employing Pakistani actors, Mr Joshi said, “Why are Indian filmmakers so excited to welcome Pakistani actors when Pakistani actors themselves are taking the decision of not acting in Indian films? Are there no good actors in India? In theory one can argue that there should be no differences when it comes to art, but one has to be practical and take a decision as per the situation.”
One of the main focus areas of the RSS during the three-day meeting was on caste discrimination. When asked if the RSS had any change of stand regarding Manu Dharma and the Chaturvarna system, Mr Joshi said, “There is no change in our stand. The RSS has never believed in caste by virtue of birth and discrimination on the basis of caste. Casteism is a social problem which needs to be solved by social organisations.”
On the issue of genetically-modified seeds, he said, “The focus of scientists should not be on just increasing the produce of crops. Decisions in this regard should be taken bearing in mind that Indian farmers are already highly dependent on private companies and they should not be forced to become more dependent. Decisions should also be taken keeping in mind the deteriorating soil quality and traditional habits of the Indian farmers.”
Mr Joshi said that the RSS aimed to increase the number of its units in villages to 75,000 villages by March next year, when it would have a meeting in Tamil Nadu, from the present 70,000 villages. The number of shakhas, too, was on the rise in the country with around 27 lakh members currently, he added.
He also said that the Central and state governments should ensure that law and order prevailed in West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu where Hindus and members of Hindu organisations were coming under attack.
