Diversity mustn’t cause division, says Bhagwat as RSS turns 100

Marking its centenary on Thursday, the ruling BJP's mothership -- Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh -- delivered a strong message of national unity saying Hindu ‘rashtriyata’ was all about inclusion and diversities should never morph into divisions.

Articulating the Sangh's 100-year journey and vision going forward, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat quoted BR Ambedkar’s “inherent cultural unity of Bharat” remarks to describe Hindu society as a guarantor of unity, one which, he said, stood insulated from "us versus them" binary.

"Hindu ‘rashtriyata’ has always kept us together through acceptance of diversities. We don’t have a conception of a nation state. States form and decline but ‘rashtra’ remains eternal. We should never forget this foundation of our unity," Bhagwat said, adding that Hindu society was accountable for Bharat.

While his message in the customary Vijayadashami address from Sangh headquarters in Nagpur was one of consolidation of Hindus in the centenary year, Bhagwat urged citizens across faiths to be respectful to each other and avoid provocations.

"Despite our distinct identities, we are united as a society and country. We should be careful not to disrespect beliefs, icons and places of worship. Taking the law into one's hands, hitting the streets, engaging in hooliganism on slight provocations -- this grammar of anarchy has to be stopped," he said urging influencers across faiths to heed the challenges caused by "superficial differences of names and forms."

In other important remarks, Bhagwat stressed two points -- the value of democratic means to foster change in societies and the need for an alternative development model to offset losses in the form of financial disparity and ecological degradation being perpetrated by the current economic paradigm.

Framing the disconnect between governments and society as a natural cause behind violent regime changes in neighbouring Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, Bhagwat urged the government here to ensure stability in these countries that were "once part of Bharat”.

"Violent outbursts cannot bring about desirable change. Society transforms only through democratic means. In violent circumstances, there arise possibilities of dominant world powers playing their own games," he said.

As Bhagwat touched upon varied challenges confronting India, his most recurring theme today was one of unsustainable development models pushing the world and nations to the brink of disasters.

Red flagging the growing vulnerability of the Himalayas, Bhagwat sought a review of the national economic model and said India should evolve a formula for the world to emulate.

"The harmful consequences of the materialist and consumerist development model adopted worldwide, based on a materialist and compartmentalised approach, are increasingly becoming evident everywhere. In Bharat too, due to the same model, irregular and unpredictable rainfall, landslides, drying up of glaciers, and other similar effects have intensified over the past 3-4 years. The entire water supply of Southwest Asia originates in the Himalayas. The occurrence of these disasters in the Himalayas should be considered as a warning bell for Bharat and other countries of South Asia," he said, urging gradual return to the old Indian way of life centred on holistic, integrated development in harmony with nature.

The RSS chief added that while we can claim improvements based on the prevailing indicators used to measure the economy, "flaws of this system are many."

He listed the following as flaws -- widening gap between rich and poor, concentration of economic power, strengthening of mechanisms enabling exploitation, degradation of environment, rise of transactionalism and decline of interpersonal relationships.

A major thrust of Bhagwat's remarks today was the need to reconsider the national economic development approach and he made the point in the presence of former President Ram Nath Kovind, who was chief guest on the occasion.

Importantly, as the government moves to end left-wing extremism, the RSS chief also urged comprehensive action to ensure justice and empathy in the LWE-affected regions and noted, "The root of Naxalites’ popularity in these areas lay in exploitation and injustice, lack of development and absence of sensitivity about these matters in the administration."