India needs to retain its identity and essence, not imitate other countries: Bhagwat

TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday said India needs to retain its essence and identity by embracing its scriptures and ancient history and should not try to imitate other countries, or else it would become a “laughing stock”.

The process of preserving identity and connecting with “our glorified past” cannot be undertaken overnight and will require a sustained campaign, he said at an event.

“If we would take an about-turn suddenly, the vehicle will topple, so we will have to do this slowly and steadily. History is not merely about books, it is very much about geography and people,” he said.

Bhagwat said it was unfortunate that people in the country “accepted the narrative of powers that came from outside” and sought to “ridicule our history, ancestors, values and cultural practices.” Speaking at the launch of a book — Connecting with the Mahabharata — Bhagwat cautioned against blindly aping other countries.