'Pure' inter-faith love fine, plot to lure Hindu girls problematic: RSS on 'love jihad'

"If it is sheer pure love, no question. When it is jihad, there is a question," top RSS functionary Dattatreya Hosabale said.

New Delhi: No one can question "sheer pure love" even if it's between individuals of different religions, but any planned conspiracy to take away Hindu girls is definitely problematic, top RSS functionary Dattatreya Hosabale has said.

Speaking exclusively to PTI Videos, he said there are an umpteen number of cases among Swayamsevaks who have married across castes, religions and even nationalities for "pure love" and the Sangh has always accepted it as natural.

"We have welcomed, celebrated and attended those weddings," the RSS General Secretary said in a rare and free-wheeling interview.

"If it is sheer pure love, no question. When it is jihad, there is a question," he said.

Asked how he defines 'love jihad', a term often used by the Hindu right wing for companionship between a Muslim man and a Hindu woman, Hosabale said, "The thing is nobody has (defined it). Love jihad, the term, was first used by some high court judge. So it is not our contribution." "The thing is that if two individuals are in love, then there is no religion, nationality, et cetera. So that love is pure." But, he added, when this becomes an agenda and there is a planned conspiracy to take away Hindu girls, then it raises a question and causes friction.

"Then this DNA thing doesn't work. Because even with that (same) DNA, if somebody is hijacking a girl from some village, leave alone Muslims, it is not love," he said, referring to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's comments about Hindus and Muslims of India having the same DNA.

He stressed that he was not talking only about Hindu girls and it cannot be allowed even if a girl from any other community is kidnapped.

"You cannot say that 'as we belong to one DNA, it's okay'. It is not. That is why it should be a socially acceptable thing. Love is not barred in a society," he said.

Asked specifically whether he was saying that the Sangh was not against a love marriage between individuals of different faiths or communities, he said that there are many families of Swayamsevaks where people have married outside their caste, community or religion.

"We do not publicise it as we accept it as a natural thing," he said.

At the same time, he said, what is being referred to as 'love jihad' cannot be ignored, as such cases are being reported in large numbers and heard in courts every month.

"Many girls have come back and they have told their sad stories... There are around 20,000 cases that have been documented. All these things cannot happen," he said.

He also wondered whether love happens only one way. "All cases of Hindu girls and Muslim boys? So that means this love has only one dimension. Then it is not love. There is a conspiracy," he said.

On another question about Bhagwat's comments about the need for Hindus to have more children, Hosabale said it is important for family security and several other reasons.

"If there is only one child, one child norm, then if something happens to the child at some age, what will happen to the parents in their old age? "Secondly, if there is only one child who gets all the love and everything, there is a risk that the child develops an ego or loneliness.

"Siblings help us learn love, sharing and compassion. But if a child grows without a sibling, there can be psychological problems or ego or loneliness," he said.

He further said that having more children is also important for the community and the nation.

"We are creating economy, we are creating wealth, we are growing everything. But in the future, if the nation becomes a nation of old people, there would be a problem," he said while referring to Japan.

Hosabale said India is an ancient nation, but it is also a young nation even after thousands of years.

"We should remain young as a nation," he said while advocating for people to have more children.