BHAGWAT CONSOLIDATES IDEA OF BHARAT

HERE are voices that wound and voices that heal. Some speak merely to vilify, while others attempt to speak to the soul of a nation. Mohan Bhagwat, the sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, belongs to the latter category—an unassuming paterfamilias whose quiet humour and classy candour reflect the organisation’s long-cultivated ethos: restraint, rootedness, and an unbroken belief in Bharat’s historic cultural continuity.

- PRABHU CHAWLA

Last week, his daylong lecture series at the centenary celebrations of the RSS at New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan carried a symbolic weight: a reminder that the RSS, founded in 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, is not just a social experiment, but a cultural force preparing for its second century. For the first time in its history, the RSS chief fielded over 200 audience questions on language, Hinduism, secrecy, population, technology, and caste reservations—that he supports reservations until communities themselves feel otherwise, and that ‘Hindu’ is someone who identifies as Bharatiya and is rooted in Indian culture. One point is not negotiable: infiltrators must be deported. All regional languages, he said, are national languages, while imposing a foreign one is unacceptable.

He threw open RSS offices and shakhas to critics, urging them to see firsthand, instead of clinging to prejudice. In a pointed move against what he called a leftist-driven anti-RSS ecosystem, Bhagwat even suggested “Hum do, hamari teen”—not “do”—as a liberal, but culturally conscious approach to population policy. The message was blunt: the Sangh is not an enigma. Step inside and see it for yourself—or abandon the manufactured narrative.

The timing of this outreach is critical, as it coincides with a sustained political assault led by Rahul Gandhi, whose critiques have intensified since 2018. Gandhi has repeatedly accused the RSS of undermining India’s pluralistic ethos, alleging it seeks to impose a homogenous Hindu identity and exerts undue influence over the BJP. His remarks, including calling the RSS a “threat to India’s secular fabric”, have galvanised opposition narratives, particularly during election cycles.