RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Advocates For Three Kids Per Household, Refutes Retirement Rumors

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said every Indian family should have three children to keep the population sufficient and under control.

"To keep a civilisation alive, India's population policy suggests 2.1 (average number of children), which basically means three children. But resources have to be managed too, so we must restrict it to three," said Bhagwat while addressing at the '100 Years Journey of Sangh-New Horizon' on Thursday.

Bhagwat also dismissed reports suggesting that he or anyone in the Sangh must step down upon reaching the age of 75. "I never said I will retire or someone else should retire at 75 years," he said.

The comments by Bhagwat put at rest speculation over his recent remarks on retirement of leaders which was seen as a reference to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Both Modi and Bhagwat turn 75 next month.

On the issue of languages, he said all Indian-origin languages are national languages and there should not be any dispute over it.

Indians should know at least three languages, including their mother tongue, their state's language and a link language for the entire country that cannot be a foreign one, he said during a question-answer session on the last day of the RSS Centenary Lecture Series.

Bhagwat also said the RSS is not against English or any other language and people should be free to learn as many languages as they can. "We do not have to become English, but there is no harm in learning English. As a language, it has no ill effects," he said.

He also said that knowledge of the Sanskrit language is very important to understand India and its traditions. The RSS Chief noted that he was against any forcible imposition of anything in the education system.