RSS bats for mother tongue education, warns against Emergency-era Constitutional violations

New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) Senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionaries Sunil Ambekar and Anil Agarwal addressed a joint press conference on Monday, where they spoke at length about the organisation’s initiatives in Manipur, its position on constitutional values, language, and its centenary-year roadmap for nationwide outreach and social transformation.

On the ongoing ethnic tensions in Manipur, Ambekar stated that RSS volunteers were working actively on the ground to support peace efforts and build communication bridges between the Meitei and other affected communities.

"Our karyakartas are continuously engaged in efforts to bring stability and encourage dialogue among the people. While progress is visible, it will take time before complete normalcy returns," he said.

The RSS leadership emphasised that inclusive outreach efforts are underway to connect with various social and regional groups. They said that people from border and remote regions have shown enthusiastic participation, indicating a growing level of public trust and a stronger grassroots presence.

Touching upon the contentious issues of socialism and secularism in the Constitution, the RSS recalled the Emergency era as a moment of significant constitutional compromise.

Ambekar said, “It was a time when democratic principles were effectively suspended, and constitutional changes were made without the consent or backing of the people. The younger generation needs to understand how easily democracy can be undermined when there are no checks on authority.”

On the ongoing language debate, Ambekar clarified that the RSS views all Indian languages as national and deserving of equal respect.

“We believe that people should communicate in the language commonly spoken in their area, and that children should begin their education in their mother tongue or regional language,” he said.

In response to criticism and past attempts to ban the RSS, the leaders asserted that such efforts were neither accepted by the public nor supported by law.

"Whenever efforts were made to impose a ban, there was either a legal intervention or significant public resistance, because those moves lacked both credibility and legitimacy," the leaders noted.

The RSS is pushing ahead with its “Panch Parivartan” initiative — a five-point agenda that focuses on economic self-reliance, holistic personal development, value-based living, improved social welfare, and inclusive growth. This framework, they said, will guide the organisation’s mission in the lead-up to its centenary year.

One of the key focus areas will be expanding intellectual engagement. The Sangh plans to hold district-level discussions with scholars, thinkers, and public figures across all 924 Sangh-organised districts to facilitate deeper ideological conversations.

As part of its mass contact campaign, the RSS will organise over one lakh Hindu Sammelans across 58,000 mandals and 44,000 bastis across the country, aiming to reinforce grassroots connections and promote cultural unity.

Ambekar also shared data on the organisation’s training efforts, noting that more than 100 Sangh Prashikshan Vargs were held last summer.

Of these, 75 camps were focused on volunteers under the age of 40, involving 17,609 participants in total, including those trained at the Nagpur headquarters.

Moreover, 8,813 students participated in Sangh Shiksha Vargs, and 4,270 individuals aged between 40 and 60 received training, underlining the Sangh’s growing engagement across age groups.

--IANS

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