New Delhi: Food isn’t linked to religion, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said Thursday, while also maintaining that all must be sensitive enough to ensure one’s religious sentiments aren’t hurt.
“Food isn’t linked to religion … but during festivals people do observe fasts and it should be ensured that sentiments of people are not hurt,” he said, during a press interaction with the media here to mark the Sangh’s centenary celebrations.
“People don’t eat during fasts. Parv, tyoharo mai shakahari rehna log karte hai. Uss samay agar aisa drishya saamne aaye ki humare ghar ke saamne hee koi aisa kuch kar raha hai toh ho sakta hai bhavnaao ko thes pahuche,” he said.
(During special occasions many people don’t want to see certain things and if one understands that and is sensitive during that time the need for a law or for indulging in bans does not arise).
At the same time, Bhagwat also said that one’s sentiments should not get hurt by what others are eating.
The sarsanghachalak was responding to a question on how in some BJP-ruled states the sale of non-vegetarian food is banned during Hindu festivals and whether the RSS supports such bans.
There have also been scattered instances of communal violence during Navratri, Kanwar Yatra and other Hindu festivals over the sale of non-vegetarian food items near temples and Hindu-dominated localities.
Bhagwat said lack of understanding leads to laws being enacted.
The RSS chief said considering such festivals or fasts are for a short period, a clash can be avoided if there is mutual understanding.
“Then there won’t even be a need for laws to intervene. But at times this wisdom is not there. What someone eats shouldn’t be a reason for my feelings to get hurt. If it’s a special occasion, such times require that everyone behaves in a certain way, both visibly and in spirit. If I want things to be a certain way, then understanding that sensitivity, I too will decide: ‘okay, it’s a festival, I won’t do it’,” he added.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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