A Hindu won’t ever be anti-national: Bhagwat at launch of guide on Gandhi

A Hindu is an computerized patriot and may by no means be anti-national, csaid on Friday. Bhagwat stated this within the context of how Mahatma Gandhi discovered faith as a supply of his patriotism.
Addressing a gathering in the course of the launch of a guide, Making of a Hindu Patriot: Background of Gandhiji’s Hind Swaraj, Bhagwat stated, “All Indians worship motherland. But Gandhiji said my patriotism comes from my religion. So if you are a Hindu then you will be an automatic patriot. You may be an unconscious Hindu, you may need awakening, but a Hindu will never be anti-India.”
Describing how Indian tradition and Hindu faith impressed Gandhi, Bhagwat stated, “Gandhiji said my religion is the religion of all religions. Gandhiji wanted to say ‘Dharm’ but there is no parallel to it in English. Gandhiji started the movement for Swaraj (self-rule)… But till you do not understand ‘Swadharm’, you can’t understand Swaraj.”

“The launch of a book dealing with rise of a Hindu patriot in context of Gandhi and the presence of RSS chief can mean a lot of things to the people. People will say we are trying to appropriate Gandhiji. No one can appropriate a great personality. The aim of this book is not that. It is a thoroughly researched book on the life of Gandhiji,” Bhagwat stated.
The guide, introduced out by Centre for Policy Studies and authored by Dr J Ok Bajaj and M D Srinivas, focuses on Gandhi’s journey from Porbandar to England and South Africa and again to India.
Bhagwat stated Gandhi’s understanding of faith was of tolerance. “Unity in diversity is our sentiment and not just a matter of policy. Gandhiji said I will follow my religion strictly but also respect other religions. This is the fundamental of Indian thought. Difference does not mean separatism,” Bhagwat stated.
The RSS chief stated Gandhi understood the liberty battle was not simply an effort to remodel these in energy however to remodel ourselves. “Gandhiji clearly said the Western civilisation has ruined our own culture and we have become ‘Dharmbhrasht’. …Dr Hedgewar also used to say that do not blame others. You got enslaved because you were ready to be enslaved. There was something lacking in you. I saw a parallel of such thought in Gandhiji,” Bhagwat stated.
The guide launched by Bhagwat focuses on Gandhi’s life in three totally different phases of his battle.
The guide claims that in 1893-94, Gandhi was pressured by his Muslim employer and Christian colleagues in South Africa to transform however he refused. And by 1905, he had turn out to be a religious Hindu, the guide says.