Watch: Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM) on US Tariff war and India
We will be speaking to Dr. Ashwani Mahajan, the co-convener of the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, the economic wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Dr. Mahajan has been an influential voice in shaping India's economic and trade policies. He sheds light on India's decision to exit RCEP and more.
Script & Presentation: Nistula Hebbar
Production: Shibu Narayan
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Time of India
4 hours ago
- Time of India
In current global scenario, India must strive to become self-reliant: RSS chief
1 2 Nagpur: In the current global scenario, India must strive to become self-reliant, but that goal will remain incomplete unless the country rediscovers its own identity, said Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat on Friday. Speaking at the inauguration of the Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar International Gurukul at the new Waranga campus of Kavi Kulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University on Wardha Road, Bhagwat underscored the critical link between cultural self-awareness and national strength. Though he didn't directly castigate anyone, RSS sources said his remarks may have come in view of United States President Donald Trump's move to impose a 25% tariff against India. "If we want to be truly self-reliant, we must first fully understand our own 'swaroop' — our intrinsic nature," he said. "Where there is selfhood, there is strength, energy, and prosperity. When we forget our essence, decline sets in. That is what history has taught us." The RSS chief traced India's past glory to a period when the country was rooted in its cultural identity. "Even by western historical accounts, India led the world from the year 1 to 1600 AD. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Our downfall began when we started forgetting who we are," he said, adding that British colonial rule deepened this loss by enslaving not only territory but also the Indian intellect and minds. Bhagwat highlighted the role of language in expressing national character. "Language is the medium through which we express our inner nature. The way a society thinks is reflected in how it speaks," he said. He warned against blindly embracing western concepts like global markets, which he said failed to resonate globally, unlike India's inclusive philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family). Strongly advocating the revival of Sanskrit, Bhagwat remarked, "To know Sanskrit is to know India. It is the source of all Indian languages and the largest reservoir of vocabulary. Anyone who knows Sanskrit can learn other languages quickly." He emphasized that Sanskrit must return to everyday use and that it should not be confined to academics or liturgy. "Universities have a crucial responsibility in ensuring Sanskrit gains janashray — public adoption — along with rajashray or state patronage," he said. The Sangh supremo said India's path to becoming Atmanirbhar lies not just in economic or technological strides but in reconnecting with its foundational identity. "Swatatva — our inner truth — is the seat of real strength, intellect, and prosperity. When this is forgotten, decline begins," he said, drawing parallels with India's history and the colonial erosion of native pride. Bhagwat also pointed to traditional Indian households where Sanskrit chants are memorised and recited despite speakers not understanding the language. "This shows that Sanskrit can survive in practice, but we now need to bring it into conversation," he stressed. While acknowledging the academic study of Sanskrit, Bhagwat pointed out its limited use in daily life. "I passed the final examination of Sanskrit Bharati, but I still cannot speak it fluently. That's the issue — without vyavahar (usage), learning remains incomplete," he admitted. He said that Sanskrit, which houses India's collective memory and is the mother of most Indian languages, makes learning other tongues easier. "To know Sanskrit is to know India. Every Indian must engage with it — in schools, in homes, in public life," he said. Stressing that a truly self-reliant India must rediscover its Swatatva — the inner essence and identity that define the nation — Bhagwat called for a cultural and linguistic renaissance rooted in Indian traditions, particularly through daily use of Sanskrit. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil, KKSU vice-chancellor Hare Ram Tripathi, former vice-chancellors Pankaj Chande and Uma Vaidya, and director Krishna Kumar Pandey were present.
Indian Express
9 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘Need greater use of Sanskrit in everyday life': Mohan Bhagwat
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday called for a greater use of Sanskrit in day-to-day life in the country. 'If we want to understand the strength of knowledge given by the Sanskrit language, we must also understand its underlying meaning. For that, language is essential. Although many treasures of knowledge have reached many homes through Sanskrit texts and stotras, Sanskrit should now become not just patronised by rulers but also patronised by the people,' Dr Mohan Bhagwat said at the inauguration of a building at Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University in Nagpur. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed his confidence that the Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University will play a crucial role in bringing the treasure trove of knowledge in fields like architecture, ayurveda, astronomy, mathematics, and chemistry, which is all in Sanskrit, to society. 'While many ancient cultures of the world perished over time, Indian culture has endured in its eternal form. This was made possible by the invaluable role of the Sanskrit language,' Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said. He was speaking at the inauguration of the Param Pujya Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar International Gurukul and International Educational Building, along with the ground-breaking ceremony for the student building, which was held on Friday at Waranga, Wardha Road in Nagpur district.
Time of India
10 hours ago
- Time of India
RSS affiliate slams US' coercive tactics, urges India to stay firm sans compromise
New Delhi: The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Friday slammed the US for applying 'coercive tactics' on India to gain access to Indian markets in sensitive sectors, and asked the government to stay firm on its stance to protect national interest . It also said that India must avoid concessions that undermine farmers, small-scale industries, or long-term economic self-reliance. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Technology Leadership CXO Artificial Intelligence Project Management others Finance MCA healthcare MBA Data Analytics Healthcare Management Others Digital Marketing Public Policy Data Science PGDM Data Science Product Management Cybersecurity Operations Management Design Thinking Degree Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Weeks MIT xPRO CERT-MIT XPRO Building AI Prod India Starts on undefined Get Details 'The Swadeshi Jagran Manch urges the Government of India to maintain its firm stance and to use this moment to strengthen strategic autonomy, protect national interest, and advance a truly multipolar and equitable global trade order , and make decisive move towards ' Aatmanirbhar Bharat ,' it said Friday. The key sticking points in the ongoing India-US trade negotiations remain the US demand for market access for genetically modified (GM) crops, deregulation of medical devices, and unrestricted cross-border data flows. India, on the other hand, has legitimately sought exemptions from steel, automobile, and pharmaceutical tariffs and defended its policy of data localisation. 'Indian negotiators have rightly resisted attempts to force open our markets to GM agricultural products, dairy imports, and other sensitive sectors,' said Ashwani Mahajan, National Co- Convener, SJM. SJM stated that India's sovereign right to procure defence equipment to strengthen self-reliance in defence production and to secure crude oil at the most competitive prices—essential to keeping domestic inflation under check—cannot be subjected to external pressure. 'India's principled stand—that GM food imports threaten both our biodiversity and food security , and that sensitive data must remain within sovereign control—is fully aligned with our long-term national interest,' Mahajan noted. He said the US continues to exert pressure on multiple countries to lower tariffs outside the framework of WTO rules, often invoking non-trade considerations under the guise of reciprocity. 'If Washington believes that such coercive tactics can sway India's decisions, it must recognise that today's India is not the India of a decade ago…The United States, too, needs to move beyond the inertia of a unipolar worldview and embrace the reality of a multipolar, cooperative order,' he said. As per Mahajan, it is unfortunate that the US has chosen to adopt punitive measures against a strategic partner at a time when the world must collectively respond to the far greater challenge posed by China's weaponization of trade and global value chains as Beijing's restrictions on rare earth exports is causing huge harm to manufacturing capacities worldwide. He suggested that instead of resorting to pressure, the US and India should strengthen cooperation to build resilient, diversified, and equitable global supply chain. 'The experience of recent years has shown that India can leverage shifting global trade patterns—including those resulting from US–China tensions—to its advantage without compromising core interests. Whether or not a trade agreement is reached, Indian exports to the US will continue on the basis of mutual economic benefit, the SJM said.
