After Bhagwat and Hosabale, Third RSS Leader Pitches For 'People-to-People' Connection Between India and Pakistan
New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Sunil Ambekar said on Wednesday (June 17) batted for “people-to-people connection” between India and Pakistan, and said that dialogues held between the governments of both neighbouring countries have “failed.”
"Whatever dialogue has taken place between governments, armies and agencies has failed till now. We have lost hope...Therefore, people-to-people connection is important," said Ambekar during an interaction with reporters at the Pune Union of Working Journalists, reported Press Trust of India.
Ambekar clarified that earlier remarks by RSS leader Dattatreya Hosabale and Mohan Bhagwat, the outfit’s chief, were about people-to-people connection and not about official diplomatic engagement.
"The remarks made by Sarsanghchalak (RSS chief) were about people-to-people connections. Whether governments should hold talks or not is a matter of hard diplomacy involving national interests and several sensitive issues," said Ambekar.
Earlier in May, in an interview with PTI videos, senior RSS leader Hosabale had said that since trust in Pakistan’s military and political leadership was completely missing in India, people-to-people contact was the best way to break the deadlock.
Later on June 14, RSS chief Bhagwat defended Hosabale’s remarks and said that that there are several people in Pakistan who believe that “partition should not have happened.” Bhagwat also said that several journalists in Pakistan “praise” the work done by the RSS, Hindustan Times had reported.
"But there are a lot of people in Pakistan who believe the partition of Bharat was wrong and many journalists there praise the RSS and its work. There is a distinct undercurrent there of people being anti-Pakistan and against the two-nation theory and they say living together was better," Bhagwat had said.
On Wednesday, Ambekar, who is the publicity chief of the RSS, said that foreign policy decisions were best left to the government, especially during times of conflict or extraordinary situations.
"When issues relating to foreign countries arise, political differences should be set aside, and views should be conveyed to the government, which should take the final public position in the national interest," said Ambekar.
He added that the RSS, being a social and cultural organisation, will communicate its views to the government whenever required.
Ambekar also cited ongoing exchanges including medical travel and trade between the two countries, and said that such interactions can help preserve shared historical and cultural memories.
"People-to-people dialogue is very important and should continue. It should not be viewed as political diplomacy," said Ambekar, reported PTI.
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