- RSS chief Bhagwat urged reservation until social discrimination ends.
- He affirmed reservation’s social justice roots, echoing Dr. Ambedkar.
- Bhagwat cautioned against reservation becoming a political tool.
- He also noted calls for internal categorisation gaining momentum.
Amid continuing debates over reservation policies, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said affirmative action should remain in place until social discrimination is eliminated and called for its implementation in line with Dr BR Ambedkar’s vision.
Speaking during a youth interaction summit in Mumbai, Bhagwat referred to the views of Dr BR Ambedkar, saying debates surrounding reservation should be guided by the Constitution maker’s original vision.
“I will go to what Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar thought about reservation. If we honestly follow his advice, then there is no problem. Reservation exists due to social reasons. As long as there is social discrimination, reservation will continue. Those who received it and benefited should pass it on,” Bhagwat said.
He said reservation was rooted in social justice and should continue until the conditions that necessitated it cease to exist.
Bhagwat noted that discussions over the internal distribution of reservation benefits had gained momentum in several states, with increasing calls for categorisation among communities already covered by affirmative action.
“A few voices have started coming up that they received it, benefitted and now it should be given to others. There have been demands for categorisation in a few states. Supreme Court too had made an observation,” he said.
According to Bhagwat, such developments reflected changing public expectations regarding how reservation benefits should be shared among eligible groups.
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Reservation Should Enable Social Upliftment, Says Bhagwat
The RSS chief said reservation should function as a means of empowerment rather than a permanent arrangement. He encouraged beneficiaries who have advanced through the system to support others who are yet to receive similar opportunities.
“There is a stream, in those who get the reservation, that this is for our upliftment and not a permanent measure, and we have to take advantage of this, improve ourselves and make this useful for others who haven’t got it yet. This should be encouraged,” he said.
Bhagwat also cautioned against using reservation as a political tool, arguing that such practices undermine its original purpose.
“Politics should not be done over this. If all measures are properly implemented, soon its need would end. It will then be thought about. But politics was done over it, which creates bad blood. Actually, the measure was brought for social unity. The measure in itself is not wrong, but those who wield the sword are doing it in the wrong way intentionally. Unless that is cured, I don’t see anything,” he said.
Kalantri Calls for Early Government Dialogue
Following Bhagwat’s address, World Trade Centre Chairman Vijay Kalantri commented on recent discussions concerning youth welfare and referred to the unrest at Jantar Mantar, saying earlier engagement by the government could have prevented the situation from escalating.
“What happened at Jantar Mantar was unfortunate–deplorable, really; it shouldn’t have happened. Many say that if there had been a dialogue earlier, perhaps it could have been avoided. I think there is some truth to that… The government should have constituted a task force and initiated a dialogue early on… The delay resulted in other elements–political or anti-social infiltrating the movement, which led to the ensuing chaos,” he said.
Kalantri also stressed the importance of administrative vigilance, citing previous instances in which unverified content circulating through digital platforms created confusion.
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Jayant Sinha Praises Bhagwat’s Outreach
Former Union minister and Everstone Group President Jayant Sinha said Bhagwat has consistently maintained a tradition of engaging with people through public dialogue.
“The Sarsanghchalak is always engaged in dialogue, and today he held a very congenial and effective interaction with Gen Z. I believe Gen Z must be thoroughly satisfied with his responses…” Sinha said.
Bhagwat concluded the interactive session with IIMUN founder Rishabh Shah after a question-and-answer session, ending the event with a “Clock it” gesture.
