Synopsis: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat reiterated the organisation’s stance that India is a “Hindu Rashtra”. He claimed that everything has to be done while maintaining the core idea
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday, 24 May, reiterated the organisation’s stance that India is a “Hindu Rashtra”.
He made the claim in an interview with Organiser editor Prafulla Ketkar, Panchjanya Sampadak Hitesh Shankar, editor of Marathi Weekly Vivek Ashwini Mayekar and associate editor of Malayalam daily Janmabhoomi M Balakrishnan — publications linked with the Sangh Parivar — in the backdrop of the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha of RSS on 21-23 March.
“What is nitya in the Sangh? Balasaheb once said, “Hindustan is a Hindu Rashtra’. Apart from this, everything else in the Sangh is transient. The entire Hindu society is the accountable custodian of this nation. The nature and sanskriti of this country is Hindu. Therefore, this is a Hindu Rashtra,” he said in response to a question.
‘Maintain the core idea’
He claimed that everything has to be done while maintaining the core idea that India is a Hindu Rashtra.
“Hence, the Sangh Swayamsevak, while taking the oath, explicitly states about: ‘the all-round development of the Hindu Rashtra while protecting the sacred Hindu Dharma, Hindu Sanskriti and Hindu society’,” he added.
When asked about the Sangh’s vision regarding national security, military strength, and economic power, he said: “We must strive for strength. As we pray through the daily Prarthana: “Ajayyaṁ cha viśvasya dehīśa śaktim” — ‘Grant us such a strength that globally we are invincible’.”
Bhagwat said true strength is internal, and we must not be dependent on others, but should be able to defend ourselves for national security.
“No one should be able to conquer us — not even if multiple powers come together. There are evil forces in the world who are aggressive by nature. A virtuous person is not safe just because of his virtues; hence, virtues should be combined with strength. Mere brute power can be directionless, leading to blatant violence; hence, power should be combined with righteousness. So we must worship for both virtues and strength,” he said.
This story was originally published in thesouthfirst.com. Read the full story here.
