Resolving differences among warring groups in Manipur will take time: Mohan Bhagwat

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said it would take time to resolve differences between warring parties in ethnic conflict-plagued Manipur, instilling confidence that peace will eventually prevail in the northeastern state.

Mr. Bhagwat, who visited Manipur recently, said he held talks with all tribal and social leaders as well as youth representatives of the State.

He said that the disturbances, especially the public order problems, are gradually decreasing and will end in about a year.

“But building bridges between minds will be a huge task and will take time,” he said, arguing that the only way is to dialogue and bring the warring parties together “on one page”.

“It can be done because basically the spirit is already there,” the RSS chief said at a program in Kolkata to celebrate the centenary of the Sangh on Sunday.

“We can do this in Arunachal, Meghalaya, we are doing it in Nagaland and other places,” he said.

Mr. Bhagwat said the RSS has around 100 shakhas in Manipur.

Maintaining that peace will ultimately prevail in Manipur, he said, “But definitely it will take time.”

Asked by one of the participants of the lecture and interaction programme, why the Sangh maintains distance from senior leaders of the BJP, the RSS chief said that the Sangh has always maintained distance from the saffron party.

“We stay very far away from all the BJP leaders,” he said, quickly adding: “We have always been close to Narendra bhai. [PM Modi]Amit bro [Union Home Minister Shah]”

Both the leaders are known to be close to the Sangh and Prime Minister Modi was earlier the organisation’s pracharak.

He stated that such narratives regarding the relations between the RSS and the BJP leadership should be disregarded and maintained that the Sangh does not hide its relationship with anyone, be it any political group.