New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat spoke against “scare-mongering” at the Sangh’s annual Vijayadashami event Wednesday, asserting that “organised Hindus” or the RSS aren’t a threat to “so-called minorities”.
He emphasised that the RSS stands for a “Hindu Rashtra” and organises Hindu society to protect “dharma, sanskriti and samaj”, without “opposing” anybody.
Bhagwat said that it’s because of the Sangh’s activities that the concept of a “Hindu Rashtra” is being taken seriously today.
“Scare-mongering is done among so-called minorities that there is a danger to them because of us or organised Hindus. This has not happened in the past, nor will it happen in future. This is neither the nature of the Sangh nor of the Hindus; history bears this out,” Bhagwat said during his speech at the event in Nagpur Wednesday.
However, he further said, “Self-defence and defence of our own becomes the duty of everyone against those who spread hatred, commit injustice or atrocities, and engage in acts of hooliganism and enmity towards society. ‘Neither threatens nor gets threatened’ — this kind of Hindu society is the need of the present time. This is not anti-anybody. The Sangh has a steely resolve to stand on the side of brotherhood, amity and peace.”
He added that although many agree with the concept of a “Hindu Rashtra”, they are opposed to the word “Hindu”. “We don’t have any issue with that. For the clarity of concept, we will keep emphasising the word ‘Hindu’,” he added.
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Towards an Akhand Bharat
Bhagwat recalled the “poisonous experience” of Partition in detail, and said that irrespective of culture or religion, India is one as a society.
“We look different and distinctive, so we are different, we want separation, we cannot be with this country, its way of life and ideas or its identity — due to this falsehood, ‘brothers were separated, territory was lost, places of worship were destroyed’. No one was happy with the poisonous experience of Partition. We are of Bharat, came from Bharatiya ancestors and its eternal culture, we are one as a society and in our nationality; this is the only protective shield, the mantra for us all,” he said.
He pointed out that the spiritual reformer and freedom fighter Sri Aurobindo had wanted Partition to be “nullified” and had wished for an Akhand Bharat (undivided India).
“On the occasion of our first Independence Day, 15 August 1947, Rishi Aurobindo gave a message to Bharatiyas. It was also his birthday. The message described his five dreams. First, Bharat’s independence and solidarity. The integration of princely states through a constitutional process was a matter of joy for him,” said Bhagwat.
“However, he was worried that due to Partition, instead of Hindu-Muslim unity, an everlasting political divide had been created that could get in the way of Bharat attaining unity, progress and peace. By whichever means possible, he wanted Bharat’s Partition to be nullified, and fervently wished for Akhand Bharat,” Bhagwat said.
Earlier this year, the RSS chief had claimed that the idea of Akhand Bharat could be a reality in the next 10-15 years.
The map of Akhand Bharat that members of the RSS are known to keep shows the entity as comprising Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Tibet, Bhutan, and Nepal.
“Akhand Bharat will be a reality in the next 20-25 years if we keep going at the current pace, but if we put in a little more effort — which we definitely will — this time will be reduced by half and we’ll see it happen in 10-15 years,” Bhagwat had said in April, addressing a gathering in Haridwar.
“Hamari gaadi chal padi hai, bina brake ki gaadi hai, sirf accelerator hai. Jo rokne ki koshish karenge, woh mit jayenge. Jo aana chahe, woh hamare saath aa ke baith jaaye, gaadi rukegi nahi (Our car is on its way. It has no brakes, only an accelerator. Anyone who comes in the way will be destroyed. Those who want can come join us in the car. This car won’t stop),” he added.
At the time, ThePrint had reported that RSS functionaries maintained that the sarsanghchalak was speaking in a cultural, not geopolitical, context.
The RSS chief in his speech Wednesday further said that Aurobindo was aware that “Bharat had a central role in fulfilling his other dreams — the liberation of Asian countries, unity in the world, the gift of Bharat’s spiritual wisdom to the world, the evolution of man to a higher consciousness.”
He also recalled the “manifesto of service” given by Aurobindo wherein the emphasis is on doing everything for the “motherland”, and “everything else, however high and noble in itself, has to be sacrificed”.
The RSS chief ended his speech by saying that “this message is as relevant today as it was on that day”.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)
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