British systematically tried to diminish the faith that countrymen had in their traditions: Bhagwat

Pune, Jul 20 (PTI) RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday claimed that after 1857, the British systematically made efforts to diminish the faith that countrymen had in their traditions and ancestors.

Bhagwat said there is blind faith but faith is never blind. He said some practices and customs that have been followed are beliefs. Some could be wrong and need to be changed.

“The British systematically made efforts to eliminate faith from our minds after 1857 (when the British Crown formally started ruling India)… The faith which we had in our traditions and ancestors,” the RSS chief added.

Bhagwat was speaking at the launch of a book by author G B Deglurkar.

He said India has idol worship which goes beyond the shape and connects with the formless. It is not possible for everyone to access the formless, so one has to go step by step. “So a shape is made in the form of idols,” he stressed.

There is a science behind the idols, said the RSS chief, adding that idols in India have emotion-filled faces which are not found everywhere in the world.

“The idols of demons depict that they catch anything tightly in their fist. The tendency of demons is to have everything in your own hands. We will protect those in our fist (under our control). This is why they are demons,” he said.

But the idols of Gods will even handle a bow like holding a lotus, he added.

There has to be a vision for going from a state of form to formless. Those who have faith will possess the vision, he added.