‘Batenge to katenge’: Yogi Adityanath’s slogan is call for Hindu unity, says RSS

RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale backs U.P. CM’s slogan claiming that Hindus will be slaughtered if divided; attacking Congress, he says those running a ‘mohabbat ki dukaan’ are not ready to meet with the RSS

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Saturday (October 26, 2024) backed Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s controversial remark — ‘batenge to katenge’, claiming that Hindus ‘will be slaughtered if divided’ — with RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale saying that the slogan, calling for unity among Hindus, is the lifetime pledge of the Sangh.

Mr. Hosbale was speaking at the culmination of the RSS’s two-day executive meeting held in Mathura, where he also took a jibe at the Congress, saying that those who claim to run a ‘mohabbat ki dukaan (shop of love)’ are not even ready to meet with the RSS.

The U.P. CM has been using the full slogan ‘Batenge to katenge....Ek rahenge to nek rakenge (Will be slaughtered if divided... Unity will make us worthy)‘ at a number of public rallies in response to the atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh following the recent political unrest in the neighbouring country.

Hindu unity essential

Asked about Mr. Adityanath’s slogan, the RSS general secretary said that it was important to understand the spirit of his words.

“There is an old saying about unity which goes like this: Jab jab Hindu bhaav ko bhoole aaye vipad mahan; bhai toote, shakti khoye, mite dharm sansthaan. (Whenever Hindus have forgotten the spirit of the religion, troubles will come; brotherhood will be broken, power will be lost, faith and culture will be destroyed.) The spirit of this is that Hindu society should remain united. If we get divided on the basis of caste, creed, religion...then we will be slaughtered,” he said.

The “katenge-batenge” phrase is just another way of communicating the same sentiment about unity, Mr. Hosbale added. “The important point is that when Hindus are united, it will be beneficial for all. Unity of Hindus is the Sangh’s lifetime pledge. Hindu unity is for larger human unity,” he said, saying that this was in the nation’s best interests. There are multiople forces trying to divide Hindus, he warned, adding that the Sangh as well as the society are collectively working hard to defeat those forces. Hindu unity “is essential in society and necessary for public welfare”, he emphasised.

Bangladeshi Hindus

On the unrest in Bangladesh, the RSS general secretary said that the Sangh wants Hindus to be safe in Bangladesh, rather than migrating from there.

“The government of India has already spoken about safeguarding the minorities in Bangladesh. Sangh has also given a statement on it. We don’t want Hindus to migrate from Bangladesh, it’s their homeland. There is shaktipeeth there. But Hindus must be protected there. Organisations across the globe are raising their voices in support of Hindus in Bangladesh,” he said.

Political untouchability

Rubbishing reports of differences between the Sangh Parivar and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mr. Hosabale said that the Sangh has no differences with anyone, be it the BJP or the Congress. He noted that the RSS and Swayamsevaks meet people from all walks of society.

“You want to run the shop of love in the market of hate but you dont want to meet us... But we want to meet you, everyone,” he said, taking a jibe at the Congress’s slogan. Like social untouchability, political untouchability should also be shunned, he said.

Clearing the air on BJP chief J.P. Nadda’s remark during the Lok Sabha election that the BJP does not need the RSS anymore, Mr. Hosabale said that Sangh members understood the spirit of his statement.

“What he wanted to say was that they don’t want to remain dependent on the Sangh. Every organisation must become self-dependent. They cannot leave elections to the Sangh. We never felt bad about his words,” the RSS general secretary said.

OTT regulations needed

Apart from burning national issues, one topic discussed at length during the RSS executive meeting was the impact of OTT platforms on children. There is a need for legal regulations for OTT platforms, Mr. Hosabale said.

“For films, there is a film censor board. Is there any similar mechanism for OTT? We are only asking for regulation and not control. There is a difference between regulation and control. And for the interest of the society, regulation is required,” he said.

Regarding the U.P. CM’s meeting with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat during his visit to Mathura for the executive meeting, Mr. Hosabale said that it was an informal meeting and that Mr. Adityanath had asked the RSS for help in making the Maha Kumbh, scheduled to be held in Prayagraj, a bigger and better affair.

“He asked for the RSS’s help in getting people from across India to participate in the Kumbh, including tribal people who often stay away from such events. He also suggested that the message for clean rivers can be sent across from the Kumbh,” he said.

Sharing the progress of the Sangh’s activities, the RSS general secretary said that around 6,645 new RSS shakhas have been started over the past two years. There are 72,354 shakhas currently running across India, he said.

Published - October 26, 2024 09:56 pm IST