Welfare state not Indian concept: RSS leader

The welfare state is not an Indian concept, senior RSS functionary Manmohan Vaidya said on Tuesday, adding that the Indian society has the strength to become self-dependent rather than relying on the government for everything. Vaidya, the joint general secretary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), said some people have the habit of thinking that everything should be done by the government, but this was not the case with the Indian society, which has traditionally been courageous enough to remain self-dependent.

Speaking at an event organised by the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), the labourers' body of the RSS, Vaidya referred to Rabindranath Tagore's "Swadeshi Samaj" and said the book should be made part of the curriculum at the school level or at the higher education level as it inculcates values in the society. "According to the book, the welfare state is not an Indian concept and it is a reality...our society has always had the strength to remain self-dependent rather than depending on any authority," he said.

The Indian society had always had the strength to achieve anything or face any crisis, Vaidya said. "It was the strength of our society that despite being under the Mughal rule for 850 years, less than 15 per cent people were converted into Islam...and less than three per cent were converted into Christianity," he added.

People need to realise their strength and rather than totally relying on jobs, which is normally a tendency of the educated section, they should also explore entrepreneurship opportunities, Vaidya said.