Celebrate diversity, don't discriminate on religion, says RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said diversity must be celebrated and no one should be subjected to persecution and discriminated because of different attires or ways of worship and dissimilar traditions.

"Diversity is to be celebrated and not to be opposed...," said the chief of the Sangh Parivar fountainhead, come under flak in recent months over the activities of outfits affiliated to it, including on reconversions, while addressing the fifth International Conference and Gathering of Elders here. The conference was organised by the International Centre For Cultural Studies, an RSS-inspired organisation.

"All this must co-exist together and find a way to take everybody along with us." Bhagwat said: "The universe is a single organism, and to have universal well-being, people need to co-exist as one." The RSS chief said the universe is one whole organism, and hence well-being is universal and everybody has to take care of everyone and everything else.

Bhagwat said the living together in diversity was not on the basis of contract, but on the basis of acceptance, however the modern concept of life suggests toleration. "The living of diversity together is not on the basis of contract, but on the basis of acceptance. The modern concept of life suggests that we need to tolerate each other. But our ancient traditions with vast experience said that we need to accept each other, not just tolerate."

Adding: "Utility is not the basis for acceptance. Different traditions look different but they are one. Oneness is the absolute truth and the permanent reality. Our tradition says we need to sustain everything, accept all nature and every other traditions."

The coming together of ancient traditions can provide the basis for well-being of the universe, he said.