Interviews

Government Policies

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Government Policies..

Economic Development

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(With the Editor, Organiser Weekly, September 1958)Q : We are not developing our economy fast enough. China is developing faster. Should we not follow their example? A : China has sold itself to a foreign ideology. We need not got so fast that we lose our national identity. What is the use of going round the world with a begging bowl, only to import large numbers of foreign experts, technicians etc., whose chief interest in our country will be only to wage their cold war here?Q : What is the chief ..

Social Problems

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(With friends in Kerala, Karnataka, January 1969)Q : Some feel that they are discriminated against in religious and social affairs by being denied 'yajnopavita', 'gotra' etc. What do you say? A : They can be given yajnopavita and gotra. There is nothing wrong in this. If they do not know the gotra they can be given the gotra of the priest. That was being done in olden days and is sanctioned by the Shastras. In the Shastras, it is also said that all those who do not come under any gotra belong to Kashyapa ..

The Educational System

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(With teachers and friends on different occasions)Q : What is your opinion about the prevailing educational system in our country?A : It has neither the good elements of the modern system prevalent in the West nor the positive content of our ancient system. Our young men do not even know that we have an ancient history rich with excellence in all fields of life. In the absence of any positive goal before the student, no wonder he takes to reading vulgar and foul literature to while away his time...

The Language Problem

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(With the Special Correspondent, Organiser, December 1957)Q : Which should be our national language?A : I consider all our languages as national languages. They are equally our national heritage. Hindi is one among them which, by virtue of its countrywide usage, has been adopted as the State Language. It will be wrong to describe Hindi alone as the national language and others as provincial languages. That would not be seeing things in the right perspective...

Issues with Indian Muslims

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(With Newspaper Editors at Delhi, June 1970)Q : Even after all these years as an independent nation, communal tension in India has not abated. What is your diagnosis?A : The main reason for Hindu-Muslim tension is that the Indian Muslim is yet to identify himself fully with India, its people and its culture. Let the Indian Muslim feel and say that this is his country and these are his people, and the problem will cease. It is a matter of changing his psychology...

The Indo-Pak Problem

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(With Pressmen at Delhi, April 1966)Q : What, do you think, is the permanent solution to the Indo-Pakistan dispute?A : Historically, this has been one country. Merely because a man professes a particular way of approach to God, that does not take away his nationality. If this be accepted, the people living on the other side of the present border, but actually in our own country, should be treated as ours. Therefore we have been saying that the independent existence of this State called Pakistan which, ..

In The Wake Of Pak Aggression In 1965

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(With Pressmen in Bangalore, November 1965)Q : In the recent war with Pakistan, Muslims have been loyal to us.A : That is because they were afraid. I told once that if there was a major defeat to our army, there would have been an upsurge by these people in our country. Fortunately, there was no defeat. Our army is marching from victory to victory. Seeing that it would be very dangerous for them if they revolt, they have showed discretion and kept quiet. Now only that, out of sheer fear, they have ..

Prior To The Tashkent Agreement

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(With the Editor, Organiser, December 1965)Q : What do you think of Tashkent? Should the Prime Minister go there?A : I think the Prime Minister should not go to Tashkent. Russia has not condemned Pak aggression. It has put the aggressor and the victim of aggression on the same footing, and called them together for talks. Q : If Russia had condemned Pakistan, Pakistan would never have agreed for any talks in Russia...

Bangladesh War And Aftermath

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(With Pressmen in Bangalore on 16-12-1971, the day Pak forces surrendered in Bangladesh)Q : How do you view the present situation in the country?A : The people are one and united against the enemy. It shows that intrinsically we are one. But it is the political adventurers who divide us into more than one. However, we have proved that we can pull together as one nation in times of crisis...

Simla Pact

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(With Pressmen at Bangalore, February 1973)Q : What is your reaction to the Simla Pact?A : It is all patchwork and nothing decisive. Now probably it has ceased to be operative. Nothing has been done. Recognition of Bangladesh as a separate entity by Pakistan has not yet come. The problem of POWs is still hanging in the air. ..

Kashmir Problem

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(With the Editor, Organiser, October 1967)Q : Government does not seem to know what is to be done next in Kashmir. It does not want to lose Kashmir and it does not know how to keep it! A : There is only one way to keep Kashmir - and that is by complete integration. Article 370 must go; the separate flag and the separate constitution must go too. If it is necessary to have, President's Rule is a temporary thing. Within a year or two there will have to be fresh elections. And the new Vidhan Sabha may ..

Communism and other 'isms'

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(With friends and pressmen on several occasions)Q : Do you think that there is any basic defect in all the various modern 'isms'? A : Yes. They all stem from materialism. And materialism has no answer to the very fundamental question : "Why at all should people aspire for world unity and human welfare? Why should they feel pained at the sight of man set against man? Why should we love each other?" From the materialist point of view we are all equally gross entities, each separate and exclusive in ..

Foreign Policy

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(With friends in Bangalore, 1956)Q : Is not the policy of 'non-alignment' and 'dynamic neutrality' the only right one so far as our country is concerned?A : So long as we remain weak, all such enchanting phrases would remain only in the air. Ours would only be, as it is now, the 'dynamic neutrality' of a football which is 'impartial' and 'neutral' by itself but is also 'dynamic' being kicked about from one side to the other! Q : Our remaining in the Commonwealth is only a symbol of sentimental attachment ..

Communal Riots, Secularism

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With the Editor, Organizer, June 1968Q : The Government proposes to have special intelligence men, special investigators and special courts for riot cases. Is it necessary?..

Constitution

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(With Pressmen, October-November 1949)Q : Why are you critical of the Constitution-making process which is under progress on the model of several Constitutions in the world?..

Re-organization of States

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(With Pressmen, 1955)Q : Sikhs are demanding a separate state because they have some grievances. What wrong is therein granting their demand?A : Who does not have grievances? But are we to give a separate state every time some one has grievance? If you yield in one place you have to yield all round. Will the Government meet the 'grievances' of Dravida Kazhagam also by yielding to its demand for secession? We must put our foot down against all fissiparous tendencies whenever or wherever they may crop ..

Cow Slaughter

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(With friends and pressmen, 1966)Q : How did cow slaughter begin in our country?A : It began with the coming of the foreign invaders to our country. In order to reduce the population to slavery, they thought that the best method to be adopted was to stamp out every vestige of self-respect in Hindus. They took to various types of barbarism such as conversion, demolishing our temples and mutts. In that line cow slaughter also began. The later aggressions by the French, Dutch and the English continued ..

Agitations

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(With the special correspondent, Organiser, December 1957)Q : Why is there discontent in the country?A : Because the Government is whipping up people's desires by incessantly talking of 'raising their standards'. The Government is raising expectations without being able to satisfy them. The result is terrible frustration. That is precisely what the communists want. The seeds of communism strike root only in despairing minds. They talk of higher standards of living. But for them this only means more ..

Other Topics

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(With the Editor, Organiser, December 1957)Q : Do you think Pandit Nehru is the main stabilizing factor in the country? A : No. We have got stability because our people are stable. They would rather put up with any nonsense than kick up a row. The indispensability of Pandit Nehru is a myth deliberately fostered. Q : Will there be a war of succession after Pt. Nehru?..

The Country and Its Culture

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(With friends and pressmen on Several Occasions)'HINDU', 'BHARAT' ETC. Q : What does the word "Hindu' indicate, according to you? A : The word 'Hindu' denotes a society. That is the current meaning also...

Our Cultural Characteristics

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Q : With all the multitude of faiths, sects, castes, languages, customs and habits, how can you call this a single society at all? Where is the single way of life you call 'Hindu'? A : Well, this questions stems from a superficial view of our Hindu life. A tree, for example, appears to be full of heterogeneous parts like the branches, leaves, flowers and fruits. The trunk differs from the branches, the branches from the leaves all as if entirely different from one another. But we know that all ..

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

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Q: Is RSS a political organisation? A: It is not political in the sense that it does not participate in day-to-day elections, the race for power and all that. It is a cultural organisation, which emphasises the oneness of the country and the people. If there are any things, which appear to be detrimental to the oneness of the country, we try to express our views and educate the people about them...

Religious Matters

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Q : In view of the arduous religious practices traditionally prescribed, our common mass of people are unable to adopt them in their daily life. Are there any simple practices and 'samskaars' which can be prescribed for them?..

Spiritual, Philosophical Aspects

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Q : Some say that the theory of Moksha leads one to think of oneself alone and makes him keep aloof from his social obligations and duties. Is it correct? A : That is only a misunderstanding of the concept of Moksha. The 'Self' that is contemplated upon is not the physical self. It is the 'Self' which is Immanent and Transcendent and is All-Comprehensive. As such a man who thinks of 'Self' does not become conscious of his small personal self at all. Q : The idea of Moksha was conceived of, it is ..

Shri Guruji's Interviews

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Shri Guruji toured the entire Bharat at least twice every year, from 1940 till 1973. All along, he interacted with various people. As part of those interviews, Shri Guruji spoke on various issues concerning the society. Those questions and answers are presented here in a categorized form. Economic Development Social Problems The Educational System The Language Problem Issues with Indian Muslims The Indo-Pak Problem ..