'Casteism a major threat to social fabric'

JODHPUR: Concerned over politics being increasingly caste-driven, the RSS in its two-day Jodhpur meeting, held lengthy deliberations on social equality.

The two-day deliberations were part of the RSS's annual 'Samanvay Baithak', which was attended by RSS-backed state leaders, including state BJP president Ashok Parnami and cabinet ministers Arun Chaturvedi and Gulab Chand Kataria.

During the deliberations on Friday, the discussion revolved out caste playing a major factor during the recent Gujarat elections.

General secretary Bhaiyyaji Joshi emphasised on the need to create an equal and capable nation.

Terming casteism as a huge threat to the essence of the nationalism and society, the RSS expressed concern over the growing casteism in the country and expressed the need to work to promote social harmony in Indian society.

Parnami, while interacting with the media persons, said that the RSS has felt that castiesm is growing in dangerous proportions in the Indian society and there is a striking need to work for inculcation of social harmony in the Indian society. "Castiesm has emerged as a major threat to the Indian social fabric and Gujarat elections have seen the issue acquiring threatening proportions. The RSS has taken a serious note of the issue and committed to promote social harmony," said Parnami.

Joshi also spoke about the need to restore the traditional Indian family values including the revival of the joint-family system. He claimed that the falling family values and disintegration in the Indian families had led to deterioration in values and character and individuals feeling insecure.

The annual (co-ordination meeting) is a meeting of the RSS leaders with the Sangh representatives in the other organisations including the BJP. The two day meeting, which ended on Friday, saw 275 RSS workers from 35 regions participating in the deliberations over social harmony, family integration and women participation spread over 8 sessions in two days.

Participation of women social and national building was also discussed in the sessions stressing the need to harness their capabilities amid mentioning of the many women characters right from history to the freedom struggle movement and politics as well as many other areas.