Bhagwat sets a vision for Bharat, urges youth to take pride in Bharat & Kutumba Prabodhan

Northeast Bharat is a unique showcase of unity in diversity for the whole of Bharat, as so many indigenous Jan-Goshthis have been living in harmony here for thousands of years – a living example of the uniqueness of Bharatiya Sanskriti – Kalpana Bora

Sudarshanalay, November 18, 2025, 4 pm. It was my precious fortune that I got an opportunity to listen to the lecture delivered by Sarsanghchalak of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Dr Mohan Bhagwat Ji, in an interactive session of Pramukh Nagarik Sammilan as a part of RSS’ centenary celebrations programme. Dr Mohan Bhagwat Ji was in Assam for two days, November 18-19, 2025. It was a lifetime experience to listen to Dr Mohan Bhagwat Ji – such a spontaneous flow of magical words, like rivers keeping on flowing, full of dynamism, energy, optimism and spirituality for life. Here, we would try to summarise the essence of his lecture.

People should try to understand the philosophy of RSS. The voluntary organisation, RSS, was established in 1925 not to oppose anyone, but to prepare Swayamsevaks who will contribute to nation building through their character, with virtues like Satya, Nyay, Daan, Karuna, and Tyaag; people who believe in the civilizational virtues of Ancient Bharat, who take pride in being Bharatiya, who take pride in the Ancient Bharatiya Gyan-Parampara and wisdom system, who work for social harmony, respecting diversity, helping others, conserving and protecting the environment, and leading a healthy lifestyle with peaceful coexistence with people of all religions and faiths, with a nation-first spirit. This is done in Shakhas of RSS. Hence, people should come and visit what happens in Shakhas; then only they can understand RSS in a better way. People have so many confusions and misconceptions about RSS and its works because they don’t try to understand RSS. RSS strives and aspires to unite society, to make a Bharat that will be Vishwaguru, not Mahashakti. Is preparing such Swayamsevaks, who will become apolitical social leaders of tomorrow, wrong? Anyone who loves Bharat must contemplate upon this.

Dr Mohan Bhagwat Ji elucidated upon the significant role of RSS in the freedom struggle of Bharat, recalling the imprisonment of its founder, Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgwar Ji, in the Non-Cooperation Movement and Civil Disobedience Movement, and the contributions of countless Swayamsevaks across the country during the Quit India Movement in 1942. Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgwar ji used to assert that everyone has the right to be free and independent. Our nation has been a very prosperous nation ever since ancient times, be it treasures of natural resources, science-knowledge-wisdom, trade, agriculture, gems & stones, precious metals, and human resources. We have a treasure of knowledge and wisdom imbibed in our ancient scriptures which no other country has. But still, so many invaders could invade and rule us – Persians, Shaka, Huna, Arabs, Moghuls, Portuguese, and finally British rule. Why? Because we stopped being united. Because, since we never needed any army as such, we were not prepared to defend ourselves in those times. Shadowed by selfishness, we were made to forget what we were. Guru Ravindra Nath Tagore once said that Bharat is a great nation, but how to make its citizens realise this?

This was one of the purposes of establishing RSS in 1925. After 14 years, a methodology got formulated – to construct a Bharatiya Samaj, which is united, organised, and disciplined, with people of virtues such as truthfulness and honesty, kindness, charity, and nyayapriya, who will take pride in being Sanatani and Bharatiya. Even people from foreign countries have realised today that they also want to construct such a society in their countries, and they ask RSS how to do it. And we reply – we simply construct Swayamsevaks in Shakhas, and the rest is done by them! There is no other way of building a nation other than through building the character of the citizens. That has become the credibility of RSS today, and RSS is doing this amazing work today in Bharat. Because we believe in “Tera vaibhav amar rahe Ma (Bharat Mata), ham din char rahe na rahe.” Bharat and Hindu are synonymous with each other. Whenever Hindus were troubled, Bharat was in trouble. Whenever the Hindu population decreases, or the sentiment of Hindutva diminishes – then Bharat cries! The land where civilisation carries the incredible, rich legacy of the Vedas, Puranas, Panini, and Sanskrit, the land where human civilisation took birth – such a nation is Bharat. Where we pray for peace and happiness of the whole world. Where we worship our Maatribhumi – “Mata Bhumi Putroaham Prithivya.” Where we respect diversity and give full freedom to all to follow their religion and faith. Thus, Arya, Sindhu, Hindu, and India are all synonymous with each other. And, Hindutva does not just mean that we follow any one religious text – Hindutva is the way of life. People of any religion/faith who believe in this philosophy are Hindus.

Today, resistance to RSS is decreasing. This is because RSS has earned the trust, love, and respect of people. We have grown prosperous and self-reliant. Our state (dasha) has changed positively, but our vichardhara (disha) has not changed. So now, we need to set a vision before us – what do we need to do during the next 100 years for our Bharat? We aspire to transform the society, to make it an awakened, organised, empowered, healthy, strong, united, enlightened, disciplined Bharatiya Samaaj.

And how will that happen? That will happen by our Acharan. We must act the way we want our children and youth to be. That will happen through Kutumb Prabodhan. When we parents respect our elders, touch their feet, share quality happy family time together, eat homemade Bharatiya food together, behave with our children like friends (don’t preach to them), speak Bharatiya languages at home, wear Bharatiya attire, celebrate Bharatiya festivals with family members and members of our neighbourhood, help the underprivileged, etc., our children will follow us. That is how we can build the character of our children. Acharan only can change the system. We need to carry discipline, nationalism, and patriotism to each and every citizen of Bharat. Do not discriminate on the basis of caste or any other factor. Through Pancha Parivartan, this should be imbibed spontaneously in people; no law can enforce this forcefully.

Another vision that RSS sets today is - that Bharat must show the path of enlightenment, peace, prosperity (knowledge) and contentment to the whole world. And this will be done by networking with neighbouring and other countries. Because the whole world is looking up to Bharat today for this. These are the new horizons of expansion of Sangha’s work in the years to come!

While answering questions asked by the audience about demographic imbalance in Assam, Dr Mohan Bhagwat stated that this can be done by curtailing illegal infiltration and forced/illegal religious conversions and by increasing the birth rate of Hindus. He said that all Hindus must give birth to at least three children. Some works will be done by the governments, some by society itself. Legal citizens should be vigilant about illegal infiltrators settling on our lands. Boycott illegal infiltrators economically. He asserted we will not leave our land, our Sanskriti, and that we will win, and we should be positive about this sentiment.

Dr Mohan Bhagwat ji further elaborated that the spiritual leader of Assam, Srimanta Shankardev ji, and Bir Lachit Borphukon today have become iconic legends who are revered all over Bharat. He further emphasised that Northeast Bharat is a unique showcase of unity in diversity for the whole of Bharat, as so many indigenous Jan-Goshthis have been living in harmony here for thousands of years – a living example of the uniqueness of Bharatiya Sanskriti.

Speaking about discrimination faced by some people coming to Assam from the rest of Bharat, Dr Mohan Bhagwat ji replied that such actions are executed by people backed by political agendas.

Bharatiyas do not believe in this; their hearts are very warm and open. The public should not get instigated, even by instigations by political agendas. We are Tamil (for example) only until we are Hindu, he said. Hindutva is our only identity, and that is the only truth. We have always believed in social harmony; we even used to welcome guests from abroad so much that they started ruling us and destroying our pride. This has to be undone. We will have to find solutions to our problems ourselves.  We should have faith that all are my fellow Bharatiya, who love me and would never leave me in trouble – see the example of COVID or any other calamity. There is huge Sajjan (gentleman) shakti working in our Bharat, which outweighs the Durjan Shakti.

We need to become a powerful Nation - economically, culturally, socially, and militarily, and we need to reduce our reliance on others - this will fulfil our dream of Viksit Bharat@2047 and earn respect from other Nations. Answering another query, he said that Bharat need not be declared Hindu Rashtra – Bharat already is Hindu Rashtra.

That is our Bharat. And Sangha aspires that the whole Bharatiya Samaj becomes like it – honest, transparent, united, organised, disciplined, and Bharat-Premi. RSS urges the youth of Bharat to work hard to achieve the above-mentioned two visions. RSS will help achieve this, but work has to be done by the society itself. To expand Shakhas. To percolate to the lowest strata of society with spirits of Swayamsevaks. A progressive society itself can make a progressive nation. And RSS gives freedom to all on how to achieve this goal.

 (The author can be reached at kalpana.bora@gmail.com)