 Agencies
MUMBAI, Apr 24: India is a country which celebrates diversity and the wheel on the national flag is "dharma chakra" in reality, which reflects the foundational principle that connects all aspects of the society, RSS joint general secretary Manmohan Vaidya has said.
"We do not have different cultures, but one culture. Its celebration is diverse," Vaidya said at an event here on Wednesday. He also said 'dharma' and religion do not mean the same.
The wheel on the tricolour is the "dharma chakra in reality". The tricolour, the Supreme Court, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, all use the word dharma. There must be some reason behind it. Dharma is not religion," the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader said.
"Many systems in the society function as per the society's rules, which is why the society is 'dharmadhishtit' society. I do not know where this word dharmanirapeksha comes from," Vaidya said.
There is no word for exclusion in any Indian language because "we do not exclude anyone", he said.
"India is described as a country of diverse cultures. That is wrong. India is a country that celebrates diversity. We do not have different cultures, but one culture. Its celebration is diverse," he said.
"Every soul is potentially divine, which is equally applicable to men and women. Only Bharat believes in this. No other country does. In countries like the US, women did not get voting rights when men did. They had to fight a lot," Vaidya said.
A society which is least dependent on the state is a "swadeshi" society, he said.
Referring to freedom fighter Vinoba Bhave, he said, "Swarajya was important when we were slaves. Now we have attained swarajya; we need to make people aware of their strength. When the society becomes increasingly dependent on the state, it becomes weaker," Vaidya said. |
