SHILLONG: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Saturday took out its maiden ‘Path Sanchalan’ (procession) here in the capital of Christian-majority Meghalaya.
In Shillong, nearly 300 RSS cadres — mostly from the indigenous Khasi and Jaintia communities from across the Khasi and Jaintia Hills areas — donning khaki shorts and white shirts and armed with sticks marched from Upper Mawprem to Balika Vidyalaya School.
The rally was organized to commemorate the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
RSS cadres also took out a road march in Zikzak area of South West Garo Hills district to pay tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 119th birth anniversary.
Five Christians participated in the Shillong rally.
Praveen Shewale, RSS organising secretary, Khasi Hills, informed that 10 Christians joined the organization after attending medical camps.
On being queried on the issue ) of cow slaughter, Shewale said, “RSS ideology does not dwell on such matters.”
Stating that there is nothing political about the rally, he said that it is part of creating awareness on nationalism.
“It is a historic moment for us (RSS) today in Meghalaya to take out Path Sanchalan in Shillong and Garo Hills to pay tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 119th birth anniversary,” RSS Shillong unit leader Makashang Khongshei said.
Khongshei, who has been associated with RSS since 1993, exuded confidence that more people will be joining the group in Meghalaya to protect the interests of the indigenous people.
“We are not against any person belonging to any religious faith as our base is to be a ‘Rashtriya’ (nationalist). In India, there are 33 crore ways of worshipping god. Therefore, it does not matter, Christian or non-Christian, but what we need is unity,” he said.
Addressing the cadres, Khongshei lashed out at the failure of the government to develop the state.
“In 44 years of statehood, Meghalaya is nothing but a failed state without any hope for its people. This state has no education policy, agriculture policy and no policy for youth but only corruption. If you check the records, Meghalaya is nothing but a state still copying and pasting rules and regulations from Assam,” he said.
On the influx of Bangladeshi migrants into the state, he alleged that people at the helm of affairs were “sleeping” as most of the areas in the state were being dominated by Bangladeshis. (With inputs from IANS)
