Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said ‘Dharm’ represents the essence of India and not religion. Addressing the Vijaya Dashami celebrations at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, he pointed out that while there are many religions, it is the underlying spirituality that binds them together that defines “Dharm”.
Bhagwat describes “Dharm” as universal, eternal (Sanatan), and the essence of universal existence. Hin believes that “Hindu Dharma” is not something newly discovered or created, but something that is considered to belong to all mankind, making it a world religion.
“Dharm is the Sva (self) of India, not a religion. There are many kinds of religions, but the religion and spirituality behind these religions, which we call the “top religion”, is what Dharm represents. Dharma is the life of India; This is our inspiration. This is why we have history, for which people sacrificed themselves,” he said.
The RSS chief added, “Who are we? We call ourselves Hindus because this Dharma is universal, Sanatan, and exists with the universe. It belongs to everyone. We have neither discovered it nor Give it to anyone, just identify it. Therefore, we call it Hindu Dharm, a religion for humanity and the world…”
He emphasized the value of diversity, noting that some people deliberately create disagreements where none exist.
“We live in a large and diverse society, but sometimes people try to create divisions even when there is no division. They promote the idea that we are different and separate and make people distrust government, law and administration. This It undermines people’s trust in government, law and administration. “Our goal is to help foreign powers gain control without being physically present,” the RSS chief said.
Continuing his speech, Bhagwat pointed out that anti-India rhetoric was being spread in Bangladesh, leading the country to align itself with Pakistan. He also expressed concern over anti-Hindu violence in neighboring countries.
“In Bangladesh, there is a discussion going on that we face a threat from India and therefore we have to side with Pakistan because they have nuclear weapons that can stop India… We all know which countries are driving such discussions and narratives; we don’t know that there is no need Name them. Their desire is to create such conditions in India as well,” Bhagwat said.
The RSS chief further said that there is a “brutal fundamentalist nature” in Bangladesh and “the sword of danger hangs over the heads of minorities, including Hindus.”
“What happened in Bangladesh? Due to the riots, the Hindu community was attacked there. Hindus were persecuted. Hindus took to the streets to defend themselves, so there was some protection. As long as there are fundamentalists, minorities will be persecuted,” he noted, urging the community to “stay organized.”
He deplored the atrocities against women and said the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Calcutta Medical College was shameful.
“What happened at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata is disgraceful. But it was not an incident… We should remain vigilant to prevent such incidents from happening. Even after that incident, the way things were delayed and the culprits were protected It’s also the result of an alliance between crime and politics,” he said.
Bhagwat also noted that “the elections in Jammu and Kashmir were conducted peacefully” which “enhanced India’s global reputation”.
He further mentioned that the ongoing Israel-Hezbollah-Hamas conflict in the Middle East has raised concerns about how far the conflict may spread, who will be affected and what the global crisis may lead to.