‘Tariff wars won’t affect India’

Lucknow: Mohan Bhagwat expressed confidence that the tariff wars would not adversely affect India and that the country would one day lead the Global South. "We will not bow before any nation. After some time, everything will normalise," he said while addressing a workshop of people at Indira Gandhi Pratishthan in Lucknow. He said India's economy was rooted in households rather than being controlled solely by capitalists and banks. He said that Hindu dharma represented the true human dharma. "Rather than identifying ourselves by caste or sect, we should see ourselves as Hindus." he said. Bhagwat emphasised that caste and linguistic identities should not be given undue importance and said the caste system was gradually fading, particularly among the younger generation. "In the RSS, no one asks about caste. All are considered Hindus. To eliminate caste from society, we must first forget caste. The day caste ceases to matter in society, leaders who practise caste-based politics will also change," he said.Stressing the importance of strengthening family bonds and imparting religious values at home, Bhagwat urged families to maintain emotional connections even when living apart, ensuring children remained connected with relatives and family traditions.On freeing temples from govt control, he said they temples should ideally be managed by devotees. "We also want temple administration to be in the hands of devotees. Religious leaders and well-meaning individuals should jointly manage temple affairs, but for that, preparation is necessary," he said, adding that temple funds should be used for national interest and the welfare of Hindus.