'Great Challenge' to Society as Westernisation Being Accepted in the Name of Modernisation: RSS

Bengaluru: RSS general secretary Suresh (Bhaiyyaji) Joshi on Monday said westernisation is being accepted in the name of modernisation, and this is the "great challenge" to society.

"It should be clear, what is modernisation and what is westernisation. There is some confusion, in the name of modernisation we are accepting westernisation, this is the great challenge to our society," he told reporters here in response to a question.

He also said RSS will organise training camps, both formal and informal, to its selected swayamsevaks to use their potential for social change on subjects like family system; environmental concerns — water, tree and plastic besides social harmony.

Regarding family system, Joshi said there are issues in the system due to various reasons and it needed to be rectified.

"Our team along with social organisations will work on it...our family system is unique in the world, we will try to bring in awareness,family should be united. United family does not mean they should stay under one terrace. Today's requirements are varied, our insistence is not stay under one roof, but stay together by holding responsibility for each other."

Joshi addressed the media against the backdrop of Akhila Bharatiya Karyakari Mandali baitak here on March 14.

RSS' highest decision making body Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) was scheduled to meet from March 15-17 here, but was called off due to the coronavirus threat.

Joshi said, in the country, RSS has identified about one lakh youths in the age group of 18-22 and another group of 20-35 who can shoulder responsibility towards working for the nation.

RSS has also conducted a survey of about 15 lakh people working across different sectors in the society, he said, adding that RSS is also coming up with a plan to engage these people in social reform and harmony in the next 2-3 years.

According to him, the Sangh's work has reached about 3,000 villages in five dimensions- education, health, agriculture, self-reliance and social harmony.

Compared to last year, the number of shakas have gone up by 3,000 and weekly 'milans' (meeetings) by 4,000, he added.