RSS Chief: Dialogue with Pakistan is about its people, not the country

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday defended remarks made by senior RSS functionary Dattatreya Hosabale regarding keeping channels of dialogue open with Pakistan. Bhagwat clarified that Hosabale's comments were directed towards the people of Pakistan, not the state.

Responding to questions about the RSS's stance on Hosabale's remarks, made in a May interview, Bhagwat stated that the organization adheres to the Union government's policy concerning Pakistan. However, he noted the existence of a significant segment within Pakistan who believe the partition of India was a mistake. Bhagwat also pointed out that many Pakistani journalists express admiration for the RSS and its activities, indicating an undercurrent of sentiment against the two-nation theory and in favor of coexistence.

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We are not like Hitler. That is not our nature or our way. So we need to keep some door open. We should vanquish injustice and tyranny, but we should also preserve what is good.

Bhagwat elaborated on the RSS's perspective, suggesting that if India were to decisively defeat Pakistan, the people of Pakistan should either be integrated into India or be allowed to live peacefully within their own country. He emphasized the importance of keeping dialogue open for such possibilities, stating, "We are not like Hitler. That is not our nature or our way. So we need to keep some door open. We should vanquish injustice and tyranny, but we should also preserve what is good."

He reiterated that the RSS does not formulate its own foreign policy concerning any nation, strictly following the central government's position. In his earlier interview, Hosabale had stated that while a country's security and self-respect must be protected, dialogue should not be entirely closed off, and engagement should always be considered.

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The security and self-respect of a country have to be protected and the government of the day should take care of it. But at the same time, we need not close the doors. We should always be ready to engage them in a dialogue.