New Delhi: The RSS is more media savvy these days than even most political parties; possibly, there is a belated realisation of the role media plays in moulding public perception.
So, it comes as no surprise that the RSS, in a bid to mainstream itself, will have a rare interaction with members of the international media later this month.
The aim, a source told NDTV, is to put facts in the "right perspective" about the organisation, which is the ideological mentor of the ruling BJP. International journalists are often a victim of a media organisation's deep-seated prejudices, owing to the political baggage it carries.
Result: Even if the journalists want to give the right perspective, they are unable to. ‘‘So, an event, hosted with the intention to put out the right perspective is very important," a senior RSS functionary told NDTV on the condition of anonymity.
The event is expected to be held in Delhi's Ambedkar International Centre. Sources told NDTV that 70 foreign journalists posted in India and editors of foreign TV channels and newspapers will be invited to the event.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat is expected to deliver a keynote address and then it will be followed by a free-flowing conversation. The proceedings will be "strictly confidential" and "not open for coverage". It is expected that the RSS will cover a whole host of subjects at the event, including thorny issues like Article 370, its nationalistic zeal etc.
Last June, in a similar exercise addressed at the domestic audience, the RSS had invited former President Pranab Mukherjee, a Congress veteran of five decades, to address thousands of RSS volunteers at its headquarters in Nagpur.
Bhagwat is also known to have one-to-one chats with diplomats as a part of this outreach. He also hosted German Ambassador Walter Lindner this July at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur.
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