General (retired) MM Naravane; RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale
NEW DELHI: Former Army chief General (retired) Manoj Mukund Naravane on Wednesday backed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale’s stand on greater people-to-people contact between India and Pakistan, saying stronger ties between citizens on both sides could help improve bilateral relations.Also Read | ‘India should not close doors for dialogue with Pakistan’: RSS general secretary Dattatreya HosabaleHe stated that ordinary people on either side of the border “have nothing to do with politics”.“Common people live on both sides of the border, with common problems of ‘roti, kapda and makan’ (food, clothing and shelter). The common man has nothing to do with politics. When there is friendship between the two peoples, there will also be friendship between the two nations,” Naravane told PTI.“It is the right thing. People-to-people contact is important,” the former army chief added.Naravane’s remarks came a day after Hosabale, the RSS second-in-command after Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, said India should keep channels of dialogue with Pakistan open.“If Pakistan is like a pinprick trying to create incidents like Pulwama, etc., we have to respond appropriately according to the situation… at the same time, we should not close the doors. We should always be ready to engage in dialogue,” Hosabale told PTI. “People-to-people relations can ease India-Pakistan tensions because we have cultural links and we were once one nation. I strongly believe civil society contacts will ultimately help normalise ties with Pakistan; that should be tried more now,” he added.Hosabale also urged Pakistani sportspersons, scientists and members of civil society to “step forward” for peace, saying the neighbouring country’s military “cannot be trusted”.The RSS is the ideological mentor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Naravane, who served as Army chief from December 2019 to April 2022, had made headlines in February after excerpts from a chapter on the India-China Ladakh crisis, mentioned in his unpublished memoir, were cited by leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
