Government, administration, public - all dropped guard after first Covid-19 wave, says RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

The RSS chief said that this is not an appropriate time to point fingers and all should avoid making irrational remarks

In his first remark on the Covid-19 pandemic, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday batted for consistent efforts to fight the disease, acknowledging that the present crisis arose as everyone, including the government, administration and public dropped their guard after the first wave.

At the very outset, Bhagwat, however, acknowledged: "I have been asked to speak about positivity. It is difficult because the time is very tough. Many families have lost their near and dear ones. In many families, the one who were earning livelihood suddenly died."

Bhagwat also cautioned against evading reality, saying "we do not want negation. We are not saying nothing has happened. Everything is right. The situation is indeed tough and sad, which is perplexing people and disappointing them. This is indeed a difficult time. But we are in the situation that is there. We have to face this situation," Bhagwat said.

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He said accepting this situation, we have to stop our mind from turning negative. "We have to keep the body corona negative and mind in a positive state so that we can fight it out," Bhagwat said.

"We dropped our guard after the first wave came--whether the public, the government or the administration. Doctors were giving indications. Still we dropped our guard a bit. Hence such a big crisis arose. Now there is a talk of a third wave. So do we have to be afraid? No, not all," Bhagwat said, speaking at an even to counter despondency due to the pandemic.

Addressing a lecture series ‘Positivity Unlimited’ organised by 'Covid Response Team' (CRT), a group formed by the RSS and its affiliates in association with various civil services outfits, Bhagwat underlined the importance of "consistency" in efforts to win the battle over Covid-19. He cited the example of the Hindu mythological event "Amrit Manthan," to flag that the exercise was not stopped due to any fear and continued till the "nectar" was found.

"We will keep taking efforts till we win over this. Commitment is important, and so is the importance of consistency in effforts (satat prayas) till we get complete victory (sampoorna vijaya)," the RSS chief said on the conclusion of the five-day event, which was also addressed by Wipro founder-chairman and philanthropist Azim Premji, Sri Sri Ravishankar of Art of Living and Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev of Isha Foundation, among others.

Bhagwat also underlined the importance of the nation fighting against the pandemic as a team and putting aside the narrative of fault-finding for the time being, a remark that came in the backdrop of Opposition parties having launched a joint campaign against the government over its handling of the crisis. While Rahul Gandhi has been attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a daily basis, 12 Opposition leaders wrote a joint letter to the Prime Minister flagging the lacunae in the Covid-19 management.

Bhagwat said, "There will be time for disussing faults and achievements. The need of the hour right now is to keep it aside and work together as a team, forgetting our differences." The Congress has mocked the event as "publicity campaign," saying this shows they will never understand peoples' pain.

Amid growing criticism of the government on the handling of the second wave of Covid-19, RSS has stepped in provide succour to the patients and people and also counter the negativity building around the government's image.

On April 24, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale asked Swayamsevaks to get involved in removing all sorts of deficiencies in delivery wherever they are, and act promptly to resolve people's problems. Possibly for the first time, RSS got involved in health awareness drives on such a large scale in the last few decades.

Bhagwat appeared cautioning against the practice of prescribing just any kind of therapy in the name of Ayurveda without it having gone through adequate scientific testing, a suggestion that comes in wake of some from the ruling BJP and outside routinely prescribing cow dung and cow urine to treat Covid-19, for which there is no scientific basis.

"So many things keep on going on in the name of Ayurveda. if you are using something and think you are benefitting from it, it is ok but this should not be prescribed to everybody, till this has not been proved scientifically," the RSS chief said.

He asked people to follow the medical advice without panicking. "There is talk of a third wave. But we will not be scared. We shall stand like a rock," he said.