If a Hindu says no Muslim in Bharat, he isn't Hindu: Mohan Bhagwat

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, at an event in New York, asserted that a Hindu who thinks there should be no Muslim in India is not a true Hindu. He stressed that all paths lead to the same goal and highlighted the RSS's philosophy of selfless service.

Noting that there is no difference between human beings and that various religious paths lead to the same goal, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said that "if any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslim in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu".

Speaking at the 'One World One Humanity' event in New York, he laid thrust on societal education and said the traditional thought of India is "unity of humanity" "If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslim in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu. If you want to call yourself Hindu, you must believe that all paths are leading to the same goal and that every human has dignity. There is no difference between human beings," he said.

Politics a 'game of self-interest', Sangha only gives

The RSS Chief made the remarks while recalling his conversation with a group of Muslims who asked him about Hindutva. Mohan Bhagwat also said that "politics has now become a game of self-interest" and noted that in the Sangha "we only give, don't want anything".

"I do not only tell others not to come to gain something. In Sangha, we only give. We don't want anything. That is why in publicity matters, we are way behind... Politics today, especially in a democracy, depends on the public view. If there is public opinion, then no politician will dare to go against it. Therefore, I think after taking a common resolve today, we have to act in these societies, and we have to act first locally," he said.

1996 Charkhi Dadri incident

"Whatever we decide to do today, we should start in our own country and create pockets of such selfless service, such an atmosphere of unity, and then this dialogue should continue. Through this dialogue, we should connect them, and then we should grow," he added. Mohan Bhawat also recalled work done by RSS volunteers after the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision.

"Two planes collided over Haryana, which is part of Bharat, over the place named Dadri. Both were from Arab countries. Most of the passengers were Muslims. After that collision, our Swayamsevaks reached there first, and they served. Served in treating the injured. All others were dead. Recovering their bodies, arrange for the funeral rites when their relatives come, helping them in identifying. We never thought at that time that these are Muslims," he said. "The prominent working organisation was RSS. We could do this because we are not in politics. And we don't go on making these things famous because we don't want anything from this. No return. I do not only tell others not to come to gain something. We do it in Sangha. We only give. We don't want anything... There are many perceptions created by wrong narratives. But when you come and see us from inside, all those will be disbelieving in the day," he added.

Need to educate society

The RSS Chief said that work is required to be done in society for positive changes. "This is the traditional thought of Bharat- unity of humanity. All our leaders, at any point in time, have emphasized that too. After independence, we got the constitution, which emphasizes this, but that is not happening. Because these things do not happen through politics. I'm sorry to say, but the fact is, politics has now become a game of self-interest. And you have rightly said, where there is me and I, there is no solution. We and ours are the solution. So our experience in Bharat is that we have to start with the society," he said.

"If we do not keep educating the society, then the deflections creep in, and somehow it happened in the course of history. I cannot point the moment. After that, our society, our country, was a target of foreign invasions, and so many things were lost," he added.

Truth is one, described in many ways

Mohan Bhagwat also made a veiled reference to India's age-old 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' philosophy and said he works in a society which traditionally says that religions might be different, but humanity is one. He said truth is one and might be described in different ways by people."I am not a religious scholar, nor a religious authority like you, but I am working in a society which traditionally says that religions might be different, but humanity is one. Truth is one, and humanity is a product of that truth. So humanity is one. That truth is one truth, but it is described in many ways according to the describer. Because as human beings, we are prisoners of the software that has been created in our heads," he said.

"There are many religions, and in today's world, religions are largely defined by rituals. And to fit in a religious discipline, and to treat that path to divinity, this discipline of rituals is also necessary," he added.

Mohan Bhagwat arrived in New York earlier this week on the first leg of his three-nation global outreach tour to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom at the invitation of overseas local organisations as part of its centenary year celebrations. (ANI)

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