'Being Hindu means being responsible for Bharat': RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in Bengaluru event
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat said there is no such thing as an "A-Hindu in India", because everyone shares the same ancestral heritage, and the country’s fundamental culture is Hindu.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said that India is a Hindu nation, and that Muslims and Christians in the country are also descendants of Hindu ancestors which means "there is no Ahindu". He said that being a Hindu means being a son of Bharat Mata, and every Hindu should have the awareness that the Hindu identity carries a responsibility towards the country.
Bhagwat made the remarks while addressing a special lecture series in Bengaluru. He said that ancient travellers used the term Hindu for the people living in this land. He categorised Hindu society into four groups.
"The first are those who take pride in being Hindu. The second group acknowledges that they are Hindu but does not feel pride in it. The third consists of those who privately consider themselves Hindu but do not openly identify as such. The fourth group has forgotten that they are Hindu," he added.
He repeated that India is a Hindu nation, and said that Muslims and Christians too are descendants of the same ancestors. He emphasised that being Hindu means being responsible for the nation.
Concluding his address, Bhagwat said that Hindu society must come together as a united force. He added that a confident and strong Hindu society should work to share the message of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (world is one family) - the idea that the world is one family, with the rest of the world. He urged the creation of an Indian life model based on morality and compassion that the world can learn from and adopt.
The event in Bengaluru was held as part of the RSS’s 100-year journey lecture series, and around 1200 distinguished individuals from southern India were invited.
Bhagwat also recalled RSS founder Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, saying that even in his school days he had welcomed British officials by shouting Vande Mataram. Bhagwat said that no other voluntary organisation in the world has faced such continuous opposition, and added that the RSS has grown through the dedication and sacrifice of its volunteers, without any external support. He said that the organisation builds its own workers from within.
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