RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat who had taken a bigotist step on the reconversion issue has now expressed a view which has showed his organisation’s move towards modernity. It is significant that he has called for a reassessment of Hindu religious values which went against scientific approaches. He was referring particularly to women’s status in society. One may doubt if this call for modernity was actually necessary in view of his attitude that Indian society as always rejected conventionality. He said it had always accepted good things from all over the world based on eternal life values stressed the broad outlook enshrined in Hindu Philosophy. The Hindu life view, he felt, looks at men and women as two expressions of a single element, emphasizing unity. The Indian family system has survived numerous challenges which was a testimony to the power of Hindu society. Bhagwat’s statements are highly commendable.
There are two ways of looking at the Hindu way of life.One is the highly emancipated view of society rooted in the Vedas and the Upanisad. The other is a narrow view based on the rigidity of Hindu social values evolving in subsequent periods especially with the invasion of Islam and Christianity. However, it would be wrong to equate Christian conversion with the assimilation of Western values. Western society had moved increasingly towards equality, especially gender equality, after the European renaissance.It is unfortunate that Bhagwat reaffirmed the jaundiced view of the RSS on westernisation. Women’s emancipation and empowerment do not clash with westernisation which may help remove some of the rigidities in the Indian view.