Hindutva's essence is integral humanism: RSS leader

RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Friday said that Hindutva is neither Left nor Right. Its essence, instead, is 'integral humanism'. Dattatreya was speaking at the launch of RSS leader Ram Madhav's book 'Paradigm: Integral humanism and quest for a non-western worldview'.

The RSS leader claimed that cultural cohesion and cultural nationalism are essential for the longevity of a nation. Any forcible division or unification of nations, he said, does not sustain.

"The world had gone to Left, or was forced to go Left and now the situation is such that the world is moving towards the Right, so that it's at the centre. That is what Hindutva is all about -- neither Left nor Right," Hosabale said.

"I am from the RSS. We have never said in our discourse in the Sangh training camps that we are rightist. Many of our ideas are like leftist ideas," he said. He further added that there is a space for both Left and Right ideas as both are 'human experiences'.

"Geographical or political divide are the East and the West that have blurred, dimmed and melted in the post liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation era," he said. Citing the recent comment by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on the 'Indianisation fo our legal system', Hosabale further alleged that colonial traces, though irrelevant, persist in the present-day Indian system.

"We will not achieve full freedom till we Indianise our systems," the RSS leader said. He also referred to Mahatma Gandhi's Hind Swaraj and socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia.

"Very often our justice delivery poses multiple barriers for the common people. The working and the style of courts do not sit well with the complexities of India. Our systems practise rules being colonial in origin may not be best suited to the needs of Indian population. The need of the hour is the Indianisation of our legal system." NV Ramana had said.

Talking about his book, author Ram Madhav said that his book does not present an anti-West world view. Instead, the time has come to explore the world from India's point of reference, he said.

"We should continue to accept and implement the ideas we got from outside, but there are some ideas that this land can also contribute and we must turn to them," he added.