Ram, 'Gau Mata' basis of Hindu culture, says Mohan Bhagwat

Describing Ram and 'Gau Mata' as the "basis of the Hindu culture", RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat Wednesday said every Indian "must feel" that the Ram temple in Ayodhya should be built at its original place.

Describing Ram and 'Gau Mata' as the "basis of the Hindu culture", RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat Wednesday said every Indian "must feel" that the Ram temple in Ayodhya should be built at its original place. PTI Photo

DEHRADUN: Describing Ram and 'Gau Mata' as the "basis of the Hindu culture", RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat Wednesday said every Indian "must feel" that the Ram temple in Ayodhya should be built at its original place. "We revere Ram. Gau mata and Ram form the basis of the Hindu culture. Every Indian must feel that the Ram temple in Ayodhya should be built at its original place. If it comes up there, the identity of Hinduism will be established in the world," the RSS chief said during his interaction with retired officials in the course of his four-day stay here. On the final day of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's conclave at the Kumbh Mela here, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said Friday the Ayodhya issue was at a decisive stage, suggesting that those campaigning for the construction of a Ram temple should wait it out for a few months. On Wednesday, he said madarsas "will have to be taught" the meaning of Indianness which believes in non-discrimination between religions and the language of peace. "Muslims are free to follow their method of worship but they must feel that we belong to the same country and culture and that our ancestors were the same," he said. This collective thinking alone can lead to the building of a strong society and nation, the RSS chief said. Bhagwat claimed that ancestors of all sections of the Indian population, apart from those of Afghanistan and Pakistan, were the same. They belong to the same culture, he said. Citing an example, he said, "Music is forbidden in Islam, but in Afghanistan and Pakistan qawwali is sung. Islam is against idolatry but people in these countries come close to it when they offer prayers at tombs." "It shows we are all Hindus by culture. Gautam Buddha, Guru Nanak and Mahavir may have spoken different languages but they were constituents of the same Hindu society," the RSS chief said.