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Mohan Bhagwat, at the 100-year journey of the Sangh, said that the RSS seeks unity, not power, arguing that all Indians have Hindu roots and Bharat is a Hindu rashtra.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat (file photo)
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said there are no “Ahindus” (non-Hindus) in India, asserting that every citizen, irrespective of faith, is descended from the same ancestors and has a common cultural foundation rooted in Hindu civilization.
Speaking at an event called “100 Years of the Sangh Journey: New Horizons”Bhagwat said the RSS does not seek power or political dominance but seeks to organize Hindu society for the glory of Bharat Mata.
“When an organized force rises in the form of the Sangha, it does not desire power or fame. She just wants to serve and organize the society for the glory of Bharat Mata,” Bhagwat said, adding that while people once doubted the intentions of the RSS, “now they believe”.
The event was also attended by RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale and several dignitaries from various walks of life.
“Hindus are responsible for Bharata”
Explaining why the RSS is focused on uniting Hindu society, Bhagwat said:
“It is not that the British gave us a nationality; we are an ancient nation. Every country has its own core culture and the core culture of Bharat is Hindu. Whatever description we give it leads us to the word Hindu.”
He added that all Indians — including Muslims and Christians — are descendants of the same ancestors and part of the same civilizational stream.
“There is actually no ‘Ahindu’ in Bharat. All Muslims and Christians are descendants of the same ancestors. Maybe they don’t know it or they have been made to forget it,” said Bhagwat.
He argued that consciously or unconsciously everyone in India followed the culture of Bharatiya, which he equated with the Hindu spirit.
“No one is a Hindu and every Hindu must realize that he is a Hindu because to be a Hindu means to be responsible for Bharata,” he said.
“Bharat is the Hindu Rashtra”
Bhagwat reiterated the RSS’s long-standing position that India is a Hindu rashtra, saying the idea was not against the Constitution.
“That’s why the organization of Hindu society, that’s why Bharat is Hindu Rashtra. It’s not against what we’re doing today. On the contrary, it’s in line with the Constitution we’re following today,” he said.
He added that Sanatana Dharma and Bharata are inseparable and that “the progress of Sanatana Dharma is the progress of Bharata.”
“RSS faced opposition and bans”
Reflecting on the RSS’s journey, Bhagwat said the organisation’s journey has not been easy, facing “fierce resistance for about 60-70 years”, including two bans and brutal attacks on volunteers.
“Swayamsevaks were killed. They tried in every way to prevent us from flourishing. But swayamsevaks give everything to the sangha and expect nothing in return. On this basis, we have overcome all these situations and reached a point where the society deserves trust,” he said.
“Not reactionary, but organizational”
Bhagwat rejected claims that the RSS was born out of reaction to external circumstances, insisting that its foundation was based on the need for social organization and unity, not opposition.
“The organization of society is not against anyone; it is not a reaction. The Sangh was created out of a need to maintain unity. It came to fulfill, not to destroy,” he said.
He also acknowledged that social divisions have weakened Indian society and stressed the need to restore unity while maintaining diversity.
“We have forgotten who we are as Bharat. We must remind everyone of our common identity and eliminate all differences. Our tradition is to create unity without compromising diversity – diversity is the embellishment of unity,” Bhagwat said.
“Reach every village, every caste and class”
Celebrating the organization’s centenary, Bhagwat said the focus of the RSS is to expand its presence in every village and community, irrespective of caste, class and religious denomination.
“We see Hindu society as a homogenous society, but the world sees so much diversity. We have to reach every diversity,” he said.
“We want to organize the entire Hindu society — all 142 million people of Bharat — including those who came from outside during history,” he added, noting that the RSS has already started a dialogue with those who do not consider themselves Hindu.
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09 Nov 2025 08:07 IST
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