Growing influence of regional political parties in the country is a matter of concern -Bhaiyyaji Joshi

NAGPUR, Mar 18: Expressing serious concern over the rising trend of regionalism and growing influence of regional political parties in the country, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) felt that such a trend might negate the place and importance of national political parties and nationally important issues as well. 

Addressing a crowded press conference on the last day of the three-day Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) the newly elected RSS Sarkaryawah (General Secretary) Suresh alias Bhayyaji Joshi said that attempts should be made to put the national issues in perspective before the common masses to develop a nationalistic mind. The national political parties have failed in this task, he observed. 

"Local issues and problems do have their appeal for the local people", Bhayyaji Joshi said adding that regional parties harping upon these issues tried to capitalize the popular feelings in their favor. This might set a dangerous trend in national politics. Earlier, there were only national parties, but with the growth of regional parties, this dangerous trend has set in the Indian democracy. If this was not checked the national parties would become redundant, he said. 

It would be wrong to analyse and infer that the recent election result in Uttar Pradesh voters rejected the Hindutva ideology, the RSS Sarkaryawah underlined the need for rethinking on the growing influence of regional political parties in the interest of the nation. That regional parties influencing the national politics was matter of concern, he added. 

Rejecting the notion that the work of Sangh was on the decline, Joshi highlighted that the number of shakhas have gone up so also the number of participants in the RSS training camp has also registered an upward growth. The ideology of Sangh has found its acceptance among the IT professionals for whom special shakhas were being held at Bangalore, Mangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Noida, Gurgaon etc. In Bangalore alone there are 90 such shakhas, he added. The RSS will be organizing over 70 training camps in the summer throughout the country to train its activists, he said. 

The RSS activities have also increased in the rural areas where the rural youth and college students were associating with the RSS in large numbers. "It is relatively easy to work in the rural areas as compared to the urban areas" he added. 

Stating that the ABPS deliberated on some topics at length the RSS Sarkaryawah said that with the efforts of Sangh activists 600 new gaushalas have been set up in various states of the country; training programs have been organized for youths for economic self dependence and 200-odd villages have been developed as "Model Villages". The RSS swayamsevaks run over 1.60 lakh service projects in education, health, vocational guidance etc. in the slums, rural and tribal areas of the country. 

During the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda the RSS would try to reach out with Swamiji"s inspiring nationalist thoughts and vision to the youths, intellectuals, village populace and women and also undertake drives against social inequality and discrimination. 

Replying to a question on the draft national water policy Bhayyaji Joshi said that according to the Constitution the Government should undertake efforts to provide utilities and amenities like water supply to the common masses as we are a welfare state. Instead of this the Government wanted to privatize the water supply. This was against the concept of welfare state. The RSS would oppose all such policies which are not in the interest of the nation, he said adding that the RSS would apprise the government of its views expressed in the resolution. 

In response to a question on killing of Tamil Hindus in Sri Lanka Bhayyaji Joshi said that the RSS has been running 150 centers for the Hindus in Sri Lanka to provide relief to them.