VSK Bharat
No one is alien to the RSS, everyone is a Hindu; The purpose of RSS work, is to cultivate such individuals in every village
Thrissur (Keralam).
RSS is not working for political power or against anyone, said RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat Ji. He stated that the organization is neither working for political power nor against any individual or group or religion. He said that for the past hundred years, the RSS has been working solely for the welfare and well-being of Bharat and, through that, the welfare of the world.
The RSS does not regard anyone as an outsider on the basis of religion, caste, region, or language. Its perspective is that all is one. He said that the term “Hindutva” refers to Bharat’s living tradition, and in that sense, all of us are Hindus. Those who believe in any religion or any form of God are also Hindus in this cultural sense.
He was speaking before an invited audience on the topic “100 Years of RSS”.
Sarsanghchalak Ji said that diversity is a natural part of human life, and the element that unites people amid diversity is Dharma. Hindu Dharma, he explained, consists of human values that contribute to the welfare of the world. These values are Bharat’s source of strength and unity despite all differences.
Truth, compassion, purity, and austerity are the foundations of Dharma, he said. Dharma is not connected to any particular mode of worship. Positive social transformation occurs when society has individuals who embody such values. The purpose of RSS work, he said, is to cultivate such individuals in every village.
He further stated that the RSS’s primary activity is conducting its daily shakhas. The individuals shaped through these activities go on to work for social transformation in various fields. Activities in different sectors are carried out transparently and independently, and the RSS does not control them.
He added that organizations such as Seva Bharati also operate independently. Apart from ideological inspiration received from the RSS, no other control is exercised over anyone in various organisations.
Dr. Mohan Bhagwat concluded his speech by saying that the RSS cannot be understood merely by standing apart and criticizing it. Anyone is free to come, see it and understand it from within. There are no barriers to doing so. He said that the RSS should be understood through its activities and through the lives of its swayamsevaks.
Hindutva is a living civilizational tradition of Bharat, not merely a religion. Hindavi Christians and Hindavi Muslims are an integral part of this tradition. The Sangh does not distinguish between minorities and majorities; it views all as one.
Our culture is not state-centric but society-centric. Anyone who lives with honesty and transparency, and works selflessly for the welfare of all, is a swayamsevak. The RSS has no formal membership system.
Responding to a question regarding the Karnataka Congress government’s reported insistence that the RSS register itself, he said that the organization has functioned without registration for the past hundred years and will continue to do so. The demand for registration, he asserted, is purely political in nature and unlikely to endure.
Addressing the many misconceptions surrounding the RSS, he said, “Come, see us, understand us, and then form your opinion about us”. He maintained that the organization can be understood only through direct experience of its work and the lives of its swayamsevaks.
