RSS centenary tour in Assam: Mohan Bhagwat's message of civilizational confidence

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak, Dr Mohan Bhagwat’s two-day tour of Assam, part of the organisation’s yearlong centenary celebrations, concluded on Wednesday with a message that was both civilizational and contemporary.

- PROSENJIT NATH

At a time when the political discourse is saturated with noise, labels, and motivated narratives, Bhagwat’s visit served as a reminder that the idea of Bharat is far older, deeper, and more cohesive than what many modern commentators reduce it to.

Addressing a distinguished gathering of scholars, writers, editors, entrepreneurs, and cultural thinkers, Dr Bhagwat articulated the Sangh’s long-held and often misunderstood belief: Hindu is not merely a religious category but a civilizational identity rooted in thousands of years of cultural memory and collective consciousness. “Anyone who takes pride in Bharat and loves this nation is a Hindu,” he stated, cutting through decades of misrepresentation. For him, “Bharat and Hindu are synonymous,” and therefore, India does not require any externally proclaimed status of a “Hindu Rashtra”; its living civilization already embodies it.

This expansive interpretation, one that includes every community that sees Bharat as its home and civilizational continuum, contrasts sharply with the reductionist lens that some intellectual circles project. In a state like Assam, where cultural heritage runs deep through the legacies of Srimanta Shankardeva, Lachit Borphukan, and the many indigenous traditions that enrich the national mosaic, the Sangh chief's words carried special resonance.