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‘Hindu Rashtra Is Not About Power, But Justice And Equality’: Mohan Bhagwat At RSS Centenary

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RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said walking together in harmony is the “essence of the Hindu way” and the name ‘Hindu’ comes with a responsibility towards the nation

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RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat addresses the centenary celebrations of the Sangh in New Delhi on August 26. (Image: News18)

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat addresses the centenary celebrations of the Sangh in New Delhi on August 26. (Image: News18)

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“Why organise only Hindu society and leave others out” — this was the question raised when Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar founded the Sangh. Addressing this at the organisation’s centenary celebrations, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday provided a clear answer. 

Bhagwat said walking together in harmony is the “essence of the Hindu way”.  “If we use the name ‘Hindu’, it comes with a responsibility towards the nation,” he said.

He said everyone must contribute to nation building while the society undergoes transformation. “Muslims believe in Allah, the Prophet, and the Quran. Hindus believe in Ishwar, the Vedas, and many deities. The world offers countless paths – some reach the goal quickly, some slowly, some by winding routes, others unexpectedly. All paths, ultimately, are valid,” he said at the three-day event, themed ‘100 Years Journey of RSS: New Horizons’.

He added: “Have faith in your own path, respect the paths of others, and do not seek to change them. Walk together in harmony – this is the essence of the Hindu way.”

On how the notion of a ‘Hindu Rashtra’ is questioned in a country whose Constitution has the word “secular”, the RSS chief said ‘nation’ as such is a “western concept because it is tied to the state”.

Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, he said ‘Rashtra’ has always existed and, in India, it is not bound to states. “…That is why we are connected to it – not because there was a king but because there was a ‘Rashtra’,” he said. “A ‘Hindu Rashtra’ is not about power or authority. In this ‘Rashtra’, everyone is treated with justice and equality. ‘Rashtra’ does not mean that we are leaving someone out, it is always inclusive.”

Explaining the origin of ‘Hindu Rashtra’, he said for 40,000 years, the DNA of the people of Bharat — those living in ‘Akhand Bharat’ — is the same. “Our culture and worldview are the same — of living with coordination,” he added.

‘TASK IS TO UNITE THOSE WHO IDENTIFY AS HINDU’

Bhagwat further said there are four kinds of Hindus – those who proudly declare it, those who feel it but do not say it, those who know but call themselves Indian, and those unaware of their identity.

“Our task is to unite all who identify as Hindu because true diversity is rooted in unity. They will unite others who forgot that they are Hindu,” he said.

He quoted from Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore’s ‘Swadeshi Samaj’ speech and said society cannot awaken through politics alone. It needs leadership and leaders respected in society, who are truly committed and can inspire change, he said.

About the Author

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Madhuparna Das

Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has covered Naxa…Read More

Madhuparna Das, Associate Editor (policy) at CNN News 18, has been in journalism for nearly 14 years. She has extensively been covering politics, policy, crime and internal security issues. She has covered Naxa… Read More

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