Bharat Must Rise as a Nation of Dharma, Says RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat at Centenary Lecture Series in Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Nov 2025 : Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday called for Bharat to reclaim its role as a nation of Dharma and emerge as a guiding force for the world. Speaking at the ongoing lecture series commemorating 100 years of the RSS in Bengaluru, Bhagwat said that the time had come for India to rise with confidence, strengthen internal unity, and share its civilizational message with humanity.

In his address during the second session of the centenary event, the RSS chief said that every nation defines its own swadharma—its intrinsic nature and duty—and strives to ensure prosperity for its people while contributing to global welfare. Bharat, he said, must do the same, but its path is rooted in Dharma, a principle far deeper than mere religious identity.

Expanding Outreach in the Centenary Year

Bhagwat emphasised that the first step in building a strong and united Hindu society lies in creating awareness—an endeavour that, he admitted, remains incomplete even after a century of RSS activity. “We must extend our reach,” he asserted. “In this centenary year, our foremost responsibility is to take the Sangh’s work to every village and every section of society.”

He said the RSS envisions Hindu society as a single, cohesive entity, yet full of internal diversity. With a population of 142 crore, encompassing numerous religious denominations—including those with origins outside the subcontinent—India’s strength lies in acknowledging and organising this diversity under one cultural umbrella.

Dialogue With Communities Beyond Hindu Identity

Bhagwat revealed that the RSS has initiated conversations with groups that do not explicitly identify themselves as Hindu. “Some say they are not Hindus but Hindavi. Others prefer the term Indic. We understand that all of these essentially refer to the same cultural essence,” he said.

According to him, the term “Hindu” should not be interpreted narrowly. It is not confined to any rigid form, nor does it impose boundaries. Instead, Bhagwat described it as a word that captures the essential cultural and civilizational content of Bharat. “Ideals alone are not enough,” he remarked. “Ideals are like stars—we look up to them, but cannot reach them. We need living examples. We must create individuals who embody these ideals.”

Need to Highlight the Positive Within the Country

Expressing concern over the predominance of negative narratives, Bhagwat argued that far more good is happening in India than is generally known. “At least forty times more good is happening compared to the bad,” he said. “This is the era of good; the time of bad is past.”

He criticised the media for not adequately highlighting the positive work being done across the country. The RSS, he said, aims to build a nationwide network connecting individuals and groups contributing to national welfare in various sectors. “India is vast, and we often do not know what is happening in different regions,” he added.

Encouraging Social Harmony and Ending Conflict

Bhagwat said that to build the Bharat of its dreams, the country must first adopt the right mindset. This requires collective deliberation, long-term thinking, and policy planning grounded in cultural values. Yet, he noted that Indian society still suffers from a colonial hangover.

“All of us, in one way or another, have been raised within a colonial mindset,” he said. “We must collectively rise above it. Society should act with goodwill, harmony, and positivity. Too much negative talk weakens us.”

He said the RSS is taking its message to caste and religious leaders at the block level, urging them to prioritize upliftment of weaker sections within their own communities. If society stands united, he said, no external force can create division.

Historical Reflections on Unity and Colonial Manipulation

Bhagwat offered a historical perspective on India’s social divisions. He argued that Bharat had no concept of “separateness” before the arrival of British rule, even though Islam had entered India through aggressors centuries earlier. The Muslims who settled in India, he said, became part of the civilizational fabric, and a natural process of assimilation ensued.

He said Mughal emperor Aurangzeb attempted to reverse this assimilation, but failed. After his period, the process resumed. By 1857, Bhagwat pointed out, Hindus and Muslims fought together against British rule, leading to measures like the ban on cow slaughter to strengthen solidarity.

However, he said the British, alarmed by this unity, strategically deepened fault lines in Indian society to ensure long-lasting divisions. Even after independence, the “echoes of these differences” continue to create friction.

“We must sit together, talk, and resolve these issues,” Bhagwat urged. “If we forget the reasons behind our historical divisions, we risk prolonging them.”

Preserving Hindu Spirit and Strengthening Identity

According to Bhagwat, social tensions occur either because the Hindu population declines or because the Hindu spirit—Hindu bhaav—weakens. He said the Sangh is working to educate communities vulnerable to such divisions and engage them through dialogue.
“What has happened has happened,” he said. “We are one people. Let us begin anew.”

Bharat’s Mission: To Give Dharma to the World

Invoking Swami Vivekananda, Bhagwat said every nation has a mission to fulfil. Bharat’s mission, he asserted, is to give Dharma to the world. He clarified that Dharma should not be equated with religion in the Western sense.

“Religion has prescribed do’s and don’ts—ways to reach God,” he explained. “Dharma, on the other hand, is the law of existence, the nature of things, the duty one must uphold.”

Dharma, he said, represents balance. It is the middle path, avoiding extremes. It is discipline, a way of living that does not disturb others and encourages introspection. It also means “that which sustains.”

A Tumbling World Needs Dharma

Bhagwat noted that the world has made tremendous progress in science and technology, yet humanity continues to grapple with conflict. The devastation of the First and Second World Wars, the failure of institutions like the League of Nations and the United Nations to prevent conflict, and the continued accumulation of weapons capable of destroying multiple planets—all indicate a deep crisis in human thinking.

“The problem lies in narrowness of vision,” Bhagwat said. “Seeing difference as separation is the root of global conflict.”

He argued that while many ideologies have been tried—some denying God, others exalting Him—none have achieved lasting peace. Strict ideological systems suppress individual liberty, while excessive freedom leads to chaos.

“It is here that Bharat’s civilizational wisdom has much to offer,” he said. “Where the world has stopped, we can move forward.”

India’s Civilizational Strength and Global Responsibility

India, Bhagwat said, has historically remained protected by geography such as the Himalayas, which shielded it from many global upheavals. Over millennia, Indian sages and scholars travelled across the world—not to conquer or convert, but to share knowledge.

“Our ancestors gave without expecting, and received wisdom in return,” he said. “That time has come again. We must rise to educate the world—not by preaching, but through example.”

He concluded by stating that Bharat must recover its civilizational confidence, rebuild its unity, and fulfil its historical responsibility. “For the world is tumbling,” he said, “and Dharma must once again be offered to guide humanity.”

(The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)