Protests can serve political interests, fuel divisions: Mohan Bhagwat

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday cautioned that regime-change agitations do not resolve fundamental problems, warning that protests could become instruments of political interests and fuel divisions in society rather than delivering solutions. Addressing the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s annual Vijayadashami Utsav gathering in Nagpur, Bhagwat cited recent upheavals in Bangladesh, Nepal, France, and Albania, asserting that forces pursuing their own interests use regime change as a means to alter political circumstances, rarely achieving intended results.
"They claim that changing a regime will change the situation, but that has never really happened," he said. Bhagwat claimed that a stronger India would constrain such forces, making the country a target of attempts to weaken and divide it. While some global powers want India to develop, they do not want it to become too powerful, as it could challenge their dominance, he added."Problems will remain, and protests are inevitable in a democracy. But what should the purpose of protests be? They should be aimed at finding solutions," he said.
He cautioned that protests could become political instruments when driven by objectives other than public welfare, fuelling hostility towards individuals, groups or ideologies. Bhagwat also urged political leaders, protesters and the administration to ensure that their actions did not create bitterness or divisions in society."However intense our emotions may be, we must respect the limits set by our Constitution, the norms of civilised public discourse and standards of decent conduct," he said.
The recent devastating floods in Nepal can be partly attributed to the consequences of one-sided development across the Himalayan region, which spans several countries, Bhagwat said.