‘Don’t turn away’: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat says India must chart path amid US tariffs; pushes for upholding values

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwa. (Pic credit: PTI)

NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said India must chart its own path of development rooted in its sanatan values to overcome challenges amid US decisions on tariffs and immigration.Speaking at a book launch event, Bhagwat said the present situation confronting India and the world is the result of a “fragmented vision of development and happiness” that has dominated for the past 2,000 years. “We can’t turn our backs on the situation. We must do whatever is necessary to get out of it well. But we can’t proceed blindly. We need to chart our own path,” he said.”So we need to chart our own path. We will find a way out. But inevitably, we will have to face all these things at some or other point in future again. Because in this fragmented vision, there is an ‘I’ and the rest of the world, or ‘we’ and ‘them’,” he added.Outlining India’s traditional outlook, Bhagwat stressed the four goals of life — artha (wealth), kama (desire and pleasure), and moksha (salvation) bound by dharma.The RSS chief also recalled a conversation with “a gentleman from America” three years ago about Indo-US cooperation, where the emphasis was repeatedly on safeguarding “American interests.” Bhagwat said such self-serving approaches inevitably fuel conflict. “Everyone has different interests. So, conflict will continue. Then again, it’s not just the nation’s interests that matter. I also have an interest. I want everything in my hands,” Bhagwat said.”The one who is at the top of the food chain will eat everybody, and living at the bottom of the food chain is a crime,” he added.On environmental commitments, Bhagwat said India has been the only nation to consistently fulfil its pledges. “If we had to fight in every confrontation, we would have been fighting continuously from 1947 to today. But we endured, we prevented war, and even helped those who opposed us,” he added.Bhagwat said if the country aspires to become a vishwaguru (global teacher) and vishwamitra (friend of the world), it must embrace its traditional worldview. “If we want to manage this, we will have to think from our own perspective. Fortunately, our country’s outlook is traditional. This outlook on life is not old; it is ‘sanatan’ (eternal). It is shaped by the experiences of our ancestors over thousands of years,” he said.”Our approach hasn’t cancelled artha and kama. On the contrary, it’s compulsory in life. The four goals of life include wealth and work. But it’s bound by Dharma. Dharma doesn’t mean method of worship.”And the law that oversees all this is natural law, ensuring that no one is left behind. Follow it. Follow its discipline,” he added.