RSS chief favours policy reforms for good governance, economy

Advocating government policies that unite society and facilitate everyone's progress, especially the weaker sections, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday called for policy reforms for good governance and economy.

"As governance and economy depend on the ruler's conduct for people to follow, we need fundamental reforms in electoral practices, administration, tax systems, public health systems and industrial, educational and agricultural policies to make them more effective and people-oriented," Bhagwat said at the 90th Vijay Dashmi festival of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) here.

Asserting that socio-economic initiatives of the central government like Mudra Bank, Jan Dhan Yojana and skill development were useful and in the right direction, Bhagwat said it was essential to have credible data from grass roots to measure efficacy of the developmental policies.

"It is necessary to hold a dialogue to ensure participation of all in nation-building and speed up execution of programmes," the RSS Sarasanghachalak said in his address from Reshmibagh maidan in the city centre, about 850 km from Mumbai.

Noting that the manifesto of NITI Aayog (National Institute for Transforming India) was in the right direction, Bhagwat cautioned the people that metamorphosis of the country, however, would not take place suddenly.

"It is a challenge to bring the inherited economy back to normal, balance political compulsions and straighten administrative machinery. We have to be patient to see the fruition of efforts to take benefits of development to the lowest strata of society and enlist their participation in nation-building," he said.

Recalling that Indian constitution's maker Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar fought against social injustice and inequality, the RSS chief said the constitutional expert made provisions in it to eradicate discrimination from political and economic spheres.

Bhagwat also underlined the role of education, including ethical education, to build a better society.

Recalling the United Nation's social and economic proclamation made in 1951, the RSS leader said there was a sense that rapid economic progress was impossible without painful adjustments.

"Ancient philosophies have to be scrapped; old social institutions have to disintegrate. Bonds of caste, creed and race have to break. A very few communities are willing to pay the full price of economic progress," he said.