Krishna Gopal, the joint General Secretary of the RSS, explained that Hindus are the soul of the nation. He said the soul is our Vedic intellect, our rich culture and the way of living. Different sects, emerging out of Bharat at different points of time, are part of our Vedic intellect and culture.
The RSS leader meant that all religions (and sects) born in India are part of the Hindu culture.
Addressing a packed gathering at the Constitution Club of India, Krishna Gopal, considered as one of the most articulate leaders of the RSS, said, "Pakistan was the place where invaluable and timeless Vedic literature was scripted. It was scripted on the banks of the five rivers flowing through Pakistan. However, once the Hindus left the place in 1947, Pakistan became dreary and soulless."
The RSS leader was of the view that the value system in Hindu traditions and the power of Vedic 'sutras' make Bharat a distinguished country where spirituality dominates every walk of life.
Unveiling a book in Hindi, "Bharat ki Rajniti ka Utrayan" (high point of Indian politics), written by prominent right wing writer Suryakant Bali, the RSS leader said that before the Muslims invaded India in the 7th century, Indian politics was at its best. However, India saw its lowest point during the Muslim rule of several centuries.
"They invaded us, plundered our wealth and finally ruled us. But they were different from Alexander the great or the other foreign invaders. Alexender politically defeated us. But the Muslim rulers went a step further.
"They wanted to forcible change our religion. They tried with all their might. They were ruthless in execution. However, Bharat was one rare county which did not bow to Islamic rule. We resisted... and our power of spriituality and our Vedic wisdom helped us survive," Krishna Gopal said.
On the issue of untouchability and the vices of the caste system, Krishna Gopal said that most of the Vedic 'sutras' are scripted by the Shudras (Dalits). They had a very high place in the society, contrary to what is projected by the liberals, he said.
"However, during the Muslim rule and the subsequent Christian rule, the Hindu society was marginalised. Efforts were made to divide the Hindu society. But besides the divide and rule policy, the fact remains that a section of the upper caste continued to exploits the Dalits.
"We admit that there was a certain degree of ill treatment and hate towards the Dalits. Even great leaders like B.R. Ambedkar was not spared. However, things improved a lot after Independence. We will continue to bridge the gap and ensure that all Hindus are equals, no matter which caste they belong to," Krishna Gopal said.
Among those present on the dais was Union Minister for State (independent charge) for Culture and Tourism, Prahlad Patel, and several political leaders and bureaucrats.
( With inputs from IANS )