Mumbai: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday stated that caste-based reservations in India must continue as long as social discrimination and inequality exist in society.
He emphasised viewing the issue through the perspective of Dr B R Ambedkar to avoid friction and controversy.
Bhagwat was speaking during an interactive session with over 2,000 youths from Gen Z and Gen Alpha at an event organised to mark the 15th anniversary celebrations of India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN).
During the session, IIMUN founder Rishabh Shah posed several questions to young participants regarding student protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, reservation policy, and key challenges facing the youth.
When asked if the time had come to reduce reservation quotas in education and employment, Bhagwat declined to answer with a direct “yes” or “no”. Instead, he stressed that the issue must be understood through Dr B R Ambedkar’s vision. “Reservation exists due to social factors,” he said. “As long as social inequality remains, reservation must continue.”
Bhagwat appealed to well-off individuals within reserved categories to show generosity. He noted that those who have already achieved socio-economic progress using reservations should voluntarily step aside so that underprivileged members of society can benefit.
He added that a thought process favouring this shift is gradually emerging among quota beneficiaries themselves, referencing recent Supreme Court observations regarding sub-classification to ensure equitable distribution of benefits.
Expressing dissatisfaction over political weaponisation of reservations, Bhagwat stated that reservation was originally designed as a tool to achieve social harmony. “The concept itself is not wrong, but those holding the sword are wielding it intentionally in the wrong direction,” he remarked.
The RSS chief added that until this political mindset shifts, the situation will not improve, though effective implementation of welfare schemes could eventually reduce the need for quotas.
Addressing recent student demonstrations over issues like the NEET paper leak, Bhagwat noted that young people participating in protests or voicing concerns does not make them “anti-national”. He expressed strong faith in Gen Z and offered thoughts on maintaining dialogue rather than suppressing student voices.
Commenting on the political discourse surrounding affirmative action, the RSS chief noted that politicisation disrupts the intended objective of reservation. “If the issue of reservation is implemented honestly, its necessity will end sooner, allowing for reconsideration. Unfortunately, because politics has entered the picture, it creates bitterness in society. Reservation is an important medium created to foster social unity and equality,” he noted.
(IANS)
