By Reena Bhardwaj

Washington DC [US], April 24 (ANI): Stating that 99.9% of the Muslims in India are descendants of the Indian origin Hindus and are part and parcel of the society, RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, who is in the United States, has said that but they might have changed mode of worship but not nationality or civilisational roots and that RSS has been engaged in a dialogue for the last few years to remove any misgivings.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Hosabale said that there is a need to remove any tensions that emerge due to machinations and political interests.

'The forefathers of Indian Muslims were Indians; they had been Hindus. So, 99.9% of the Muslims in India are descendants of the Indian-origin Hindus. So, we feel and we believe that they are part and parcel of our society. They might have changed their mode of worship and their religion but they have not changed their nationality or civilisational roots,' he said.

'This is what we have been conveying. Because of certain other mechanisations and political interests, there have been some tensions on and off and that has to be removed. That is why, a continuous and comprehensive dialogue with the Muslim leadership is also required. That RSS has engaged in in the last few years, in order to remove these misgivings, if at all it is there,' he added.

He was asked what Muslims mean for the RSS and the community's perception for the organization.

Asked about the biggest internal security threat for India and RSS' role in fighting it, Hosabale pointed to illegal infiltration from the eastern border and demographic change in some areas.

'Within India, there are a lot of diversity. Playing upon these diversities and putting one against another for political interests, that creates problems. Within this Indian society, illegal infiltration on the eastern border mainly has definitely been considered to be a matter of internal security by governments,' he said.

'The demographic change that is taking place has its own tensions in society. Today, it is not too much of a security issue but the change of demography in some sections would definitely create social tensions,' he said.

Hosabale said that RSS has been organizing society, encouraging people to work for the nation and engage in community service.

The RSS General Secretary said that he had attended two conferences in the United States and interacted with various sections of American society, including people of Indian origin and Americans who are in academics and establishment and think tanks.

'I think most of them may not know India and the socio-cultural situations of India, what the various inter-places in society. So, perceptions are made because of... many a time because of misunderstandings, a lack of information and also a lack of communication on the part of people from India. So, I thought it's better to communicate directly with them. Perception side, you know that RSS is a socio-cultural movement of people and it creates volunteers and they engage themselves in the national building activities,' he said.

He was asked about the perception around RSS and his public outreach in the United States.

Hosabale said Hudson Institute invited him for New India conference and discussed with him about the RSS.

'I had come for two conferences, one at Stanford University campus - the GSIF, Global Science Innovation Forum. They had also invited me to speak on science, society, and civilisational leadership. So, I thought this was an opportunity to express on behalf of Hindu society and also behalf of the organisation which I represent,' he said.

'It's good we could reach out to various sections of American society - both of Indian origin and also Americans who are in academics and establishment, think tanks and so on. I could tell them what the RSS is doing for the last 100 years, we have been organising the society and encouraging the people to work for the nation and to engage themselves in community service...how RSS works and what is its philosophy, I could explain to them,' he added. (ANI)