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By:

Prithvi Asthana

20 August 2025 at 5:20:30 pm

Keeping people united, RSS ideology: Ram Lal

Mumbai: A senior RSS functionary Ram Lal on Saturday said that the people of India should stay united as some parties are trying to divide people on various topics like languages and region. “The RSS ideology is about keeping people together,” he said. Ram Lal was addressing the RSS members as the chief speaker at the closing ceremony at a 15-day training camp in Kurla. Total 136 swayamsevaks participated in the camp. They demonstrated their skills in Dand prayog, Niyudh (karate), and Lazim...

Keeping people united, RSS ideology: Ram Lal

Mumbai: A senior RSS functionary Ram Lal on Saturday said that the people of India should stay united as some parties are trying to divide people on various topics like languages and region. “The RSS ideology is about keeping people together,” he said. Ram Lal was addressing the RSS members as the chief speaker at the closing ceremony at a 15-day training camp in Kurla. Total 136 swayamsevaks participated in the camp. They demonstrated their skills in Dand prayog, Niyudh (karate), and Lazim Dance on Vande Mataram at the ceremony. Ram Lal said that many swayamsevkas have made a lot of sacrifices for the country but no one knows them. Still, RSS continues to work for the country. He cited examples of the Partition in 1947 and Emergency in 1975 to underpin his point. “I myself had been in jail for eight months during the Emergency. Many swayamsevaks welcomed jail with open hands and even after that RSS continued to worked for the country with more energy.” He said the whole Hindu community is awakening now, and they are adapting the forgotten culture of Sanatan Dharma. “The irony is that people working for the country are called communal. The 'Breaking India Lobby' is also active and we need to unite in the favour of India to counter it. Today westernisation is badly influencing the joint family system, the Indian culture and youth's ideology. It's time for us to think about it and start making changes from our family.” Ram Lal coined another meaning for the RSS – Ready for Selfless Service. “The world is now slowly looking up towards India as an example and the process will get faster in the future. It is our responsibility as citizens to make India and become an example for the world.” Jimmy Mistry, founder of the Della Leaders Club, was the chief guest. Mangal Prabhat Lodha, Minister Entrepreneurship and Skill Development, was also present. In his address, Mistry spoke about the international image of the RSS. He said, “RSS is always shown in a negative shade at the international platform and we need to improve on that.” He emphasised on improving the process of communication, manufacturing narratives and the importance of social media in the changing world. In a reply to Mistry, Ram Lal said that swayamsevkas were busy in manufacturing success. “That is why we don't focus on narratives,” he said.

Commoners feel painful pinch

Mumbai:  As fuel prices shot up by nearly Rs 5/litre in barely 10 days, the common citizens are feeling the pinch of a fresh wave of inflation and rates of all essentials gradually rising.

 

From the humble favourite street corner vada-pav and pav-bhaji to milk, vegetables, fruits, groceries and ice-creams, besides online food deliveries, malls, showrooms and other retailers, the impact is starkly visible all around.

 

Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA) President Viren Shah said the situation is indeed gloomy and likely to worsen, “not just in India, but world over” in the coming weeks.

 

“After the appeal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the people have veered to savings… Usually during summer vacations, our sales go up, but this year we are facing a downfall,” Shah told ‘The Perfect Voice’.

 

He said that the response from thousands of FRTWA members in Mumbai and other parts are discouraging as many are trying to cut corners, save on overheads and possibly reduce staff.

 

“There will be no fresh hirings, no increments for current staff, and since business is down, even the existing staffers face the axe. Prices are shooting up everywhere due to fuel price hikes coupled with fall in demand, it's like a double-hit for us,” lamented Shah.

 

More than Heat

Roadside food-vendors and customers are facing more than just the summer heat. Shubham Sharma running a popular pani-puri chat centre in Kandivali said that left with no options, he is forced to hike the prices of all his offerings by Rs 5-10 per plate from today.

 

“We somehow managed with the previous two fuel price hikes, but the latest one will impact our livelihood. Business is already down due to summer vacations, this is another blow, with future appearing bleak,” rued Gupta, whose vast clientele base comprises students and office-goers.

 

Most vada-pav vendors on the streets have quietly jacked up their rates by Rs. 5-10, depending on the locality. The rates have shot up between Rs. 25-Rs. 35, said Mangesh Sawant from Goregaon.

 

“It’s a cascading effect. The price of pav (bread loaf) has gone up, the vegetables and chutneys are much more expensive besides the cooking oil and gas cylinders… What can we do?” lamented Sawant, showing how the afternoon peak hour rush was thinning.

 

A visit to Dahisar markets shows a similar picture as vegetable prices have gone through the roofs – most greens of daily use are selling between Rs 25-40/250 gms; a bunch of ‘kothmir’ is available for Rs. 50, up by Rs 20 in just a week; tiny lemons go Rs 10 apiece, drumsticks are a luxury at Rs. 20-25/per piece, said a vendor Dilip Gupta.

 

Despite the heat, the consumers are shying away from the traditional ice-creams and other cold drinks or frozen desserts, said the famed Borivali Best Falooda Centre owner Ramavtar Singh.

 

“Summer is usually our peak season, but this year it is tough… The fuel prices hike has affected transportation costs of all our raw ingredients like milk, fresh or dry fruits, sugar, juices, etc. We shall be forced to hike the prices of our single kulfi from Rs 35 to Rs 50 soon, that will further hit business,”  Singh said.

 

Inflation Push

Financial analyst and advisor Rajesh Shah said that fuel price hike has hit transportation, farming, logistics, manufacturing, retail supply chains, refrigeration, warehousing costs, etc, which could push up India’s retail inflation sharply in the next couple of months.

 

“Added to this is the threat looming over fare hikes of public buses, railways, taxis, autorickshaws, arising out of the zooming global crude oil prices in the wake of the face-off in West Asia. Since India imports nearly 80 pc of its crude oil needs, it is extremely vulnerable to international shocks,” explained Shah.

 

Market players point out how the cost of transport of essentials from farms to markets have increased by several thousands of rupees per truck as diesel powers the entire chain.

 

“These costs are naturally passed down to the final consumer… ” said a tempo owner, Rupesh Gowale of Dahisar, as netizens raged against the government over social media.

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