Social transformation needed to end caste politics: Mohan Bhagwat

MUMBAI: There is caste politics because people vote in the name of caste, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Thursday, stressing that a social transformation is needed to end this practice.

"In any sphere of life, be it trade or politics, the ethical practices adopted socially get reflected in politics. There is a need to bring about a change," Bhagwat said.
"Politics, by itself, is not the way through which change can be brought about, because while treading the path (of politics), if they want to keep walking, they have to do so keeping the prevalent situation in mind," he said.

Delivering a talk on 'Nationalism and Ethical Practices in Business', Bhagwat said politicians can rectify things up to a certain limit and that self-interests need to be sacrificed to improve things.

"Today, for example, one may decide that caste politics should not be played. However, caste politics is done because people vote in the name of caste. If one wants to survive, it has to be done," he said.

Bhagwat said if the society is transformed, politicians could openly say that politics should not be played in the name of caste.

He said change in the mindset of the society leads to change in the way politics is done.
Bhagwat said "luxuries and prestige" are temporary and one should steer clear of them without getting affected.

"Wherever I go, there is a self-contained room reserved for me. There are razors, tooth-brushes, tooth pastes, towel kept for me, although I carry my own stuff. I never imagined this. I used to do my own work when I held other posts in the RSS. But since all this has come, I have to go through it," he said.

"Earlier, we used to roam and nobody would even notice. Today, there are several cars in our cavalcade. It has all come, what can be done? We have to go through it. However, all this should not get into the head," he added.

"If tomorrow, the government decides to remove my security, I will neither make an application against it nor demand a red-beacon car... All this is prestige, which comes and goes. Luxuries also come and go. One has to steer clear of it without being affected," Bhagwat said.

Trade should not just be considered a profession and carried out in a professional manner, but also considered a part of one's "dharma", he said.

"Our trade should increase employment and all our work should be the best. We have to develop a situation, wherein people from across the world should come here if one wants to learn excellence," he said.

"For the world, industries, agriculture are different sectors. We consider all of them inter-related. If industries prosper, agriculture will also prosper. If trade does not increase, industries will not be encouraged to grow. If trade increases, manufacturing will also grow."