Agencies | Newyork:
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said that a Hindu who believes Muslims should have no place in Bharat would cease to represent the values of Hindutva, while emphasising India’s long-standing tradition of accommodating people of different faiths.
Addressing the One World: One Humanity Faith Leaders’ Summit, Bhagwat said India had historically provided shelter to communities that faced persecution elsewhere and stressed that diversity should not undermine the principle of shared humanity.
“By tradition, Bharat has given shelter to everybody. Those who could not find a safe place in the world came to Bharat, where they found their place,” Bhagwat said.
He said the RSS believes that humanity is fundamentally one despite differences of faith, culture and tradition.
“We as RSS think, because we have this knowledge that world humanity is one, it is our duty to go all over the world and tell everybody that, in spite of diversities, we are one,” he said.
Responding to concerns raised by Muslims over the RSS’s advocacy of the idea of a Hindu Rashtra, Bhagwat said the organisation did not subscribe to the exclusion of Muslims from Indian society.
“Muslim brothers asked me a question: You are a Hindu organisation, you see Hindu Rashtra, what about us Muslims? Would you drive us out? I said, no, that is not Hindutva,” he said.
“If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslims in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu,” Bhagwat added.
He further advocated a shift from individual and community-centric thinking towards collective responsibility.
“Where there is ‘me’ and ‘mine’, there is no solution. ‘We’ and ‘ours’ is the solution,” he said.
Bhagwat also highlighted the RSS’s social-service activities, claiming that its volunteers undertake relief and welfare initiatives without discrimination based on religion or community.
“We (RSS) are serving. While serving, we don’t see discrimination. Whoever is in need, we are serving,” he said.
According to Bhagwat, around 1.30 lakh service projects are being undertaken by RSS volunteers with the support of society. He said these initiatives had reached people across different sections of society and were guided by the principle of service rather than religious identity.
Bhagwat’s remarks came during his visit to the United States as part of the RSS’s centenary-year global outreach programme. His tour also includes Canada and the United Kingdom.
During his US visit, Bhagwat has held meetings with members of the Indian diaspora, Indian-American business leaders and community representatives. He is also scheduled to address a gathering of around 5,000 people at Madison Square Garden in New York.
He visited the Bhakti Centre in New York and paid tribute to Indian spiritual leader Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
Bhagwat’s latest remarks place emphasis on religious coexistence, social harmony and the RSS’s interpretation of Hindutva, as the organisation enters its centenary year and expands its outreach among Indian communities overseas.
