Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale has said the organisation does not oppose “sheer pure love” between individuals of different religions, but termed any alleged conspiracy to target Hindu girls under the guise of relationships as problematic.
Hosabale said there were numerous instances of RSS swayamsevaks marrying outside their caste, religion and even nationality for what he described as “pure love”.
“We have welcomed, celebrated and attended those weddings,” he said.
“If it is sheer pure love, no question. When it is jihad, there is a question,” Hosabale added while responding to a query on the term “love jihad”.
The expression is frequently used by sections of the Hindu right wing to describe relationships involving a Muslim man and a Hindu woman.
Asked how he defined the term, Hosabale said, “The thing is nobody has (defined it). Love jihad, the term, was first used by some high court judge. So it is not our contribution.”
He said relationships based on mutual affection transcended religion and nationality.
“The thing is that if two individuals are in love, then there is no religion, nationality, et cetera. So that love is pure,” he said.
However, he claimed concerns arose when such relationships became part of an alleged organised agenda.
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“But, when this becomes an agenda and there is a planned conspiracy to take away Hindu girls, then it raises a question and causes friction,” he said.
Referring to remarks by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat that Hindus and Muslims in India shared the same DNA, Hosabale said such reasoning could not justify coercion or abduction.
“Because even with that (same) DNA, if somebody is hijacking a girl from some village, leave alone Muslims, it is not love,” he said.
Hosabale maintained that coercion against women from any community was unacceptable.
“You cannot say that 'as we belong to one DNA, it's okay'. It is not. That is why it should be a socially acceptable thing. Love is not barred in a society,” he said.
Asked whether the RSS opposed inter-faith marriages, he reiterated that several swayamsevak families included marriages outside caste, community or religion
“We do not publicise it as we accept it as a natural thing,” he said.
At the same time, Hosabale claimed that cases described as “love jihad” were being reported frequently and heard in courts.
“Many girls have come back and they have told their sad stories... There are around 20,000 cases that have been documented. All these things cannot happen,” he said.
Questioning what he described as the one-sided nature of such relationships, he added, “All cases of Hindu girls and Muslim boys? So that means this love has only one dimension. Then it is not love. There is a conspiracy.”
On comments by Bhagwat advocating larger families, Hosabale said having more than one child was important for family security, emotional development and the country’s demographic balance.
“If there is only one child, one child norm, then if something happens to the child at some age, what will happen to the parents in their old age?” he said.
Hosabale also argued that siblings helped children learn “love, sharing and compassion” and warned that countries with ageing populations could face future challenges.
“We should remain young as a nation,” he said.
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