Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday rued that soldiers were dying along the country’s borders when there was no war going on, but he did not refer to defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s claim at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national convention last week that there had been no terror attacks in India in the last four years.

Addressing a gathering of students, parents and teachers at Prahar Military School at an event to mark its silver jubilee, Bhagwat sounded upset that soldiers were being martyred even though India was not at war with any country.

Without mentioning the cross-border conflict in Jammu and Kashmir, he said if soldiers were being killed on the borders without any war, it meant that “we are not doing our job properly”.

“Otherwise, if there is no war, then there is no reason why a soldier should die on the border. But it is happening,” Bhagwat continued, adding that steps must be taken as a society to stop this and “make the country great”.

At the event, which was also attended by a large number of youths and ex-army personnel, Bhagwat said the government’s policies affected every single individual.

“I do not make the policy nor do you, but we all have to bear its impact. Inflation increased, I did not increase it nor did you, but we all have to suffer. Unemployment increased, not because of you or me, but we all have to suffer. That is why we will have to learn to live for our country,” he said.

The RSS chief said it was time to make sacrifices for the country, as had been done before India gained freedom. After Independence, soldiers had to sacrifice their lives when there was a war, he said.

Bhagwat said people have to strive all the time to make their country great. “We rest easy thinking the government will do it, the police will do it, the army will do it, but it doesn’t happen that way, and all of us… the entire society must make efforts towards nation-building,” he said.

“We must connect with this country. Our youngsters must visit places in India to know the great sacrifices made by freedom fighters and their determined effort in spite of horrendous suffering.”

Girish Vyas, spokesperson of Maharashtra unit of the BJP, said Bhagwat’s statement must have been made with some references. “I have not read it so far. However, he must have made the statement to motivate the youths and students who had gathered there to listen to him,” he said.

First Published: Jan 18, 2019 22:40 IST