Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said demographic imbalance in India needs more urgent attention than population control.

Responding to a query from a member of the audience after his talk on ‘Social Harmony as a Catalyst of National Development’ as part of JSS Mahavidyapeetha’s Golden Jubilee lecture series, at Suttur Mutt in Mysuru, on May 7, Mr. Bhagwat said India is today a nation of ‘young fellows’, who will become ‘old fellows’ in the next 30 years. “We have to think about feeding them. How many hands will be required (to feed them)?”

Taking these factors into consideration, including the condition of women and their health, a policy should be prescribed. “We recommend that the government should think of the next 100 years,” he said.

Referring to India’s National Population Policy of aiming to stabilising population growth by achieving a Total Fertility Rate (TFR) or replacement level fertility of 2.1, Mr. Bhagwat claimed the present TFR of 2.1 is ‘nothing but 3’, and emphasised the need for the government to create awareness of the policy, and make it work without discrimination. 

Mr Bhagwat recalled the efforts to control population by force by the government during Emergency, and subsequent defeat of the then government. He said the present government may be averse to such an idea of ‘directly’ controlling population.

However, he said, population growth is not as much a priority for the government as demographic imbalance is.

Common civil code

With regard to a query on Common Civil Code, Mr. Bhagwat referred to the introduction of the law in a few States in India, including Uttarakhand, and expressed optimism that the Uniform Civil Code will gradually be implemented across India.

He said there was a need to be patient as things move slowly in democracy. ‘It is not decided by one person, but by 142 crore people,” he said while reiterating his hope that Common Civil Code will come into force in India.

Responding to a question from former BJP MLC Madhusudan on the measures needed to prevent political parties from creating caste-based vote banks, Mr. Bhagwat said politicians will take advantage of caste as a ‘legitimate endeavour’ to get votes as long as the society remembers caste.

“They (politicians) cannot get votes by working, but they can get votes by caste. If the society forgets caste, then politics will correct itself. Don’t blame the politicians,” he said.

In this context, Mr. Bhagwat emphasised the need to support individuals, who marry inter-caste. Recalling that an inter-caste marriage in Maharashtra in 1942 receiving congratulatory messages from two prominent leaders — B. R. Ambedkar and the then sarsangchalak (chief) of RSS M. S. Golwarkar, Mr. Bhagwat said, “Guruji had written that he was happy for the inter-caste marriage, not for the fulfilment of desire, but for setting an example before society that there is no caste.”

To another question, Mr. Bhagwat said there was no option, but to ensure oneness among different religions and communities.

“We have to (achieve oneness). It is not a question of can we (achieve oneness). All religions try to take us to the truth. The paths may be different, but the destination is the same,” he said before pointing out that it is necessary to make religions see that all their destinations are the same.

“If there is no harmony among communities and religions,” Mr Bhagwat warned, “we will destroy ourselves. We have to make our own example, and have the world follow us.”