'Swadeshi' does not necessarily mean boycotting every foreign product: Mohan Bhagwat

Swadeshi does not necessarily mean boycotting all foreign products, said Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday, asserting that "we will purchase whatever is suitable for us, that too, on conditions laid out by us".

Swadeshi does not necessarily mean boycotting all foreign products, said Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday, asserting that "we will purchase whatever is suitable for us, that too, on conditions laid out by us". "Swadeshi does not necessarily mean boycotting every foreign product. We will purchase whatever is suitable for us, that too, on conditions laid out by us," Bhagwat said at a virtual book launch event here.

"We will take everything which is good for us from around the world. 'Aano bhadra krtavo yantu vishwatah' (Vedic mantra meaning, Let noble thoughts come to me from all directions). But what we take from outside should be according to our needs," he said. The concept of swadeshi emphasising on promoting local products and restricting inflow of foreign investment and items.

Speaking about the importance of being self-reliant and swadeshi, the RSS chief said that one economic model cannot be applicable everywhere, suggesting that the situation arising after COVID-19 has made it clear that globalisation did not yield desired results. He stressed that mutual cooperation is required among self-reliant countries and all should consider the world as "one family and not one market".

Highlighting that India's current economic policy focuses on prosperity, he said: "After independence, we did not implement our economic policy in order to prevent ourselves from suffering losses due to influence from the West and other foreign countries. Following this, many locally available products and technologies were overlooked in favour of foreign items. It is good that now we are progressing in a better direction." "We should think with confidence about our comprehensive integral vision, relevant policies and proper implementation to actualise our economic goals," he said.

Bhagwat further said that there is a need for a society, which believes in localising products from around the world, adding that "we should import only those materials or technologies which are not available locally or India lacks traditionally and these should be modified in an Indian manner." (ANI)

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