India can become the new anchor of stability in a fracturing world: RSS chief

Mumbai: India can become the new anchor of stability in a fracturing world, RSS chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat said on Saturday at the iconic Gateway of India in Mumbai. 

“Given the current turmoil and global upheaval, only a strong and resilient India can become the foundation of the world. To achieve this, India must take all communities along and bring tribal communities into the mainstream of development,” Dr Bhagwat said at the ‘Karmayogi Ekal Shikshak Mela’ which honoured teachers spreading education in tribal areas. 

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, State Tribal Development Minister Prof. Ashok Uikey, and Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar were also present at the event. 

The Late Laxmanrao Mankar Smriti Sanstha operates under the guidance of Gadkari and the chairmanship of Atul Shirodkar, a well-known Mumbai businessman.

In fact, the Nagpur-based Late Laxmanrao Mankar Smriti Sanstha, which runs Ekal Vidyalayas in the Vidarbha region, now plans to expand into tribal areas across Maharashtra.

The RSS chief said that for years, the tribal community has preserved our culture and given us so much. 

“This nature is the hallmark of India's eternal culture, and the tribal people have preserved this tendency to work for the welfare of all,” he said.

According to him, service is not a favour; it is our duty; it is a work of self-development. 

“This is what makes us human. Spreading education in the tribal community is a work done with compassion, and is possible not through kindness but through hard work. It is the nature of our Indian land to suffer for the sake of others. This nature has existed in Hindu society since ancient times,” he said. 

Dr. Bhagwat said that today, tribal people do not have the facilities that are generally available to the people of the country.

“Without bringing them into the mainstream of the country, society cannot develop, and for that, we must learn from them. Our culture is rooted in the forests. The Vedas were composed there. Identity lies there, and without it, the country cannot exist,” he added. 

Gadkari said that there is a need to change the definition of politics. 

“Politics is no longer about power politics or gaining power. Politics now means development and social service,” he said and emphasized that to change the country, there is a need to increase the number of ‘karmayogis’,  people who work for the development of the backward and exploited sections of society. 

“Thirty years ago, Baba Amte initiated the promotion of education among tribals in Gadchiroli district, at a time when the Naxalite movement was at its peak in these areas. The late Laxman Mankar left politics and prioritized this education movement, starting this work to address the lack of education among the socio-economically exploited,” he said. 

The Union Minister explained that today, without any government funding, 1,400 teachers educate 32,000 students. Tribal boys and girls possess a potential, but they were denied opportunities. 

"Therefore, to address the economic and social disparities within this community, the Mankar Trust initiated this work. This work is now expanding from a few areas to the entire state, where 5,000 teachers will teach 100,000 students,” he said.