New Delhi: On a day the United States’ tariffs on Indian imports went up to 50 percent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat said trade should be done voluntarily and not under any pressure as he made a strong pitch for ‘swadeshi’ (indigenous products).
At a programme in the capital, themed “100 Year Journey of RSS: New Horizons”, the RSS chief cited the example of drinking home-made ‘shikanji’ (lemonade) rather than opting for soft drinks like Coca Cola and Sprite.
“Following Swadeshi means that what is made at home should not be bought from outside. In summers, you can make lemon sherbet and drink it, why bring Coca Cola or Sprite? Why bring outside drinks? We get very good food at home, we get nutritious food, it has good results on health. All doctors know and tell us too, so why have pizza every week? One can eat it once in a while. But why go out and eat every Sunday? This should not be done,” he explained.
He said ‘Atmanirbharta’ (self-reliant) is the key to everything. “There should be development. So our country should be self-reliant in every matter… starting from your home. When they talk about swadeshi, it seems that there will be no extensive relations with foreign countries, but it is not so. To be self-reliant does not mean to shut out the rest of the people. One has to be self-reliant, but the world runs on interdependence,” Bhagwat said as he highlighted how even families run on interdependence.
Bhagwat underscored that the country’s trade policy should be based on “voluntary cooperation and not compulsion”. He pointed out that while international trade would go on and there would be give and take, “there should be no pressure in it” and should be voluntary.
The RSS chief’s comments assume significance as they come at a time when ties between India and the US have hit a hurdle. By announcing the additional ‘penalty’ tariffs of 25 percent, Trump took the effective tariff rate to 50 percent on Indian exports. This is amongst some of the highest tariff rates for any American trading partner.
Bhagwat stressed on buying products made in India, even as he said the country can continue to import what is not made here. He cited the example of a village to highlight how importing from outside would affect employment within the village.
“Whatever is produced in our village, importing it from outside will affect the employment of our village. Buy from your village. Buy the car which is made in your state, even if it is cheaper in other states. Sometimes we see a board saying that petrol is cheaper in Haryana. We should buy in our own state, because that is what sustains our livelihood,” he said.
The RSS, including its affiliate organisation, the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), has been emphasising adopting Swadeshi products. After the additional trade tariffs were announced, the SJM had urged people to boycott goods from US-based companies like Amazon, Walmart and Flipkart (in which Walmart has a majority stake).
“Similarly, there is no need to import from outside what is produced in our country. Whatever is necessary and is not produced in our country, we will buy from outside. International trade should be done voluntarily… it should not be done under pressure. This is swadeshi. What to buy, how much to buy, whether to bring investment from outside or not, these are the issues, these are the questions of that time but the essence should be this. This is swadeshi,” Bhagwat explained.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
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