Samalakha (Hr), March 15 Amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) called for peace in the world on Sunday and emphasized that the Union government was taking all necessary steps in the supreme interest of the nation.
RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said that the war should end as quickly as possible so that people can return to their normal lives.
He was responding to queries during a media briefing on the three-day meeting of the Sangh's top decision-making body – the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS).
Asked about the Iran-US-Israel conflict that has entered its third week, the RSS general secretary said, "We want peace in the world."
"Our vision is world peace. Wars arise from a multitude of causes; therefore, in the context of this particular conflict, we also desire that it comes to an end as quickly as possible, and that the lives of ordinary people return to a state of happiness and peace without delay," he noted.
The top RSS leader said that he would not analyze the reasons behind the war.
He said that the Indian government is making all efforts in the best interest of the people of the country.
"What is in the supreme interest of the nation, they (the Indian government) are doing that. What they are doing is right," he told reporters here.
In response to a question on protests that erupted in some places in India following the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Hosabale said that people can express their emotions on the death of a person, but it should be done in a peaceful manner.
"If such things happen, they should be done peacefully. It should not be against any sect or community," he said.
"According to Indian tradition, one can be a person's enemy until he is alive, but after one dies, no one remains an enemy. So, after death, if anyone expresses grief, there is nothing wrong in it. But when this is done, it should be seen that it does not cause disturbance to peace," he said.
In response to the controversy over UGC regulations, which have been stayed by the Supreme Court, he said that the matter is before the apex court and it is not appropriate to comment on sub-judice matters.
"When a decision comes, after going through it, the Sangh will comment," he said.
In response to another question, Hosabale said, "When Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar founded the RSS, he did not say that the organization had been formed to oppose Muslims."
"During the British rule, when the RSS faced restrictions in central provinces, a debate took place in an assembly there in which four to five people supported the Sangh and one of them was a Muslim leader, who said he knows that the Sangh and Dr Hedgewar are not communal and restrictions should not be imposed."
"We have said this from the start that the ancestors of all people of India were Hindus," he said.
Referring to an event held in Hyderabad that was attended by NRIs and people of Indian origin, Hosabale said that "we conveyed a message to the delegates from 71 different countries... that the country where you live and eat, you should do good for that country. Because it is the vision of Hindutva: Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam -- the entire world is one family."
"It is not like you are only with India. You have the duty to be with the society there," he said.
The three-day meeting of ABPS, which began in Pattikalyana in Panipat on March 13, was inaugurated by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Hosabale.