'Merely making law to help backward community not enough,' says RSS chief

The RSS sarsanghchalak said that Dr (Bhimrao) Ambedkar made provisions in the Constitution for the upliftment of the Scheduled Caste and Dalit communities.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said merely making law to help the backward community is not enough and mindsets have to be changed towards such people to ensure their upliftment.

Bhagwat gave these remarks on the occasion of Valmiki Jayanti.

Addressing a gathering at Nanarao Park, Bhagwat said, "The Valmiki community is still very weak and is lagging behind. It has to come forward. Provisions have been made in the Constitution. The king (government) is looking after implementation of the law. Despite this, if there is no 'apnaapan' (sense of belongingness), then it will not benefit those for whom it is meant."

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh sarsanghchalak said that Dr (Bhimrao) Ambedkar made provisions in the Constitution for the upliftment of the Scheduled Caste and Dalit communities.

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"He (Dr Ambedkar) had said that now the Dalits would sit with everyone. We made this provision. But, merely making the provision will not be enough. The mindset has to be transformed, and an awareness has to be brought," Bhagwat said.

"Dr (Ambedkar) sahab had said that by making this provision, we have given political and economic independence to them. But, this will prove to be meaningful, when social independence will come. And, hence, another Dr sahab (referring to RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar) had started the work in Nagpur in 1925 to bring in that feeling -- the feeling of social harmony and belongingness," Bhagwat said.

He hailed Maharshi Valmiki and credited him for making the people know about Lord Ram, after which the god became role model for people in "Akhand Bharatvarsh".

"Bhagvaan Valmiki was the one who introduced the character of Shri Ramchandra (Lord Ram) to the Hindu community. Had he not authored Ramayan, we would have never known who was Ram," the RSS chief said.

He also asked the Valmiki community to visit RSS 'shakhas' and interact with the volunteers.

People have to learn from Maharishi Valmiki the sense of compassion, dedication and the feeling of duty, he said, after garlanding the statue of Valmiki.

He also garlanded the statue of other great people, including Dr BR Ambedkar.

Bhagwat reached Kanpur to attend the first 'Swar Sangam Ghosh' camp of north India being held.

The RSS chief, who came here on Saturday on a two-day visit, had reached Kanpur Central Station from New Delhi by Howrah Rajdhani Express and was taken to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Sanatan Dharma Vidyalaya where he stayed for the night.

A heavy deployment of police force has been made in the city for Bhagwat's visit. Intelligence agencies have also been put on alert, said Anand Prakash Tiwari, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and order).