International trade should be done voluntarily, not under pressure: RSS chief Bhagwat

Making a strong pitch for self-reliance, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday said that international trade should take place voluntarily and not under pressure.

Addressing a lecture series here to mark the centenary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Bhagwat said self-reliance was the key to all issues and stressed the need to prioritise indigenous products.

"Being aatmnirbhar (self-reliant) does not mean stopping imports. The world moves because it is interdependent. So export-import will continue. However, there should be no pressure in it," Bhagwat said.

He said swadeshi does not mean not importing goods that the country already has or can manufacture easily.

"Bringing goods from outside hurts local vendors," he said.

Bhagwat's remarks came on a day when the additional 25 per cent tariff imposed by US President Donald Trump on India for its purchases of Russian oil came into effect.

"Whatever is made in your country, there is no need to import it from outside. Whatever is necessary for life and is not made in your country, we will import it from outside.

"The country's policy should be done voluntarily, one should not go under pressure. This is swadeshi," Bhagwat said.