RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat welcomes Centre's new agriculture reforms, education policy

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday praised the Centre for the agriculture and labour reform bills recently passed in Parliament and said new policies should aim to make farmers aware of the modern agriculture science.

Addressing the Sangh's annual Vijayadashami rally here which was this time attended by only 50 'swayamsevaks' due to the Covid-19 guidelines, he also welcomed the government's new education policy.

Stressing on self-reliance, he said while designing the agricultural policy, farmers should be empowered to control their seed banks, create manure, fertilisers and pesticides on their own or procure from neighbouring areas.

"The new policies should aim to make our farmers aware of modern agricultural science and also enable them to blend that knowledge with the time-tested, contextually relevant traditional knowledge," Bhagwat said.

The policies should be such that a farmer is able to use the research findings and sell his produce without getting trapped under the pressure of market forces and middlemen, the RSS chief said.

Incorporating these changes immediately within the present agrarian and economic system might not be possible. In that case, the policies should focus on creating a conducive environment to translate the suggested changes into reality, he said.

"Some positive steps in the direction of assimilating this swa (selfhood) in our economic, agriculture, labour, manufacturing and education policy have been taken," he said.

He further said a new education policy formed on the basis of extensive deliberations and dialogue has been launched and the Sangh has also welcomed it.

The RSS chief also said that 'vocal for local' is a great start in the exploration of possibilities of 'swadeshi'.

A policy-making process where all people and parties concerned discuss and deliberate extensively and draw consentient conclusions fosters the spirit of oneness and trust among all.

"Fortunately, we can rely on the prevailing political leadership to engender the feeling of oneness and trust with regards to matters small and big among all people," he said.

He further said the need to decentralise agriculture and manufacturing sectors by supporting small and medium scale enterprises and creating job opportunities has drawn the attention of many intellectuals alongside the policy-makers in this time of Covid-19.

Those employed in these sectors, from small-time and seasoned entrepreneurs to farmers, are all eager to taste entrepreneurial success for the nation.

"The government will need to provide extra cover for them so they can attain world-class standards that will allow them to stand a competitive chance alongside other economic giants of the world.

"Along with the allocation of funds, its actual disbursement on the ground has to be ensured so that they can restart again after six months of the corona crisis," he said.

Bhagwat said the consciousness that has prevailed in the aftermath of Covid-19, the realisation of the true meaning of self', a spirit of oneness with all, the importance of cultural values and environmental awareness, should not be disregarded.

"We must not drop the momentum, lose sight of these indispensable values and fall back in a pattern of insensitive behaviour. Gradual and consistent practice of right conduct and responsible behaviour of an entire society alone can bring rewards," he added.