Wickedness on all borders: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat bats for self-reliance in defence
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has called for national self-reliance in the realm of security, saying India had no option but to be powerful in the wake of “wickedness along its borders”.
In an interview with RSS journals ‘Organiser’ and ‘Panchjanya’ published on Sunday, Bhagwat reiterated Sangh’s position of Hindustan being a ‘Hindu Rashtra’. He said: “The nature and culture of this country is Hindu, therefore it is a Hindu Rashtra.”
Talking about national security in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, the RSS chief said, “We have no option, but to be powerful, as we have been witnessing the wickedness of the evil forces on all our borders.”
He argued that the country’s true strength was internal and national security was not confined to defence capabilities and military barracks.
Batting for social harmony, the RSS chief asked how a fractured society could defend itself. “National security has psychological and social dimensions too. It starts with the society and is not just the government’s business. Defend yourself. Do not wait for others to protect you. When Hindus stand united, the world takes note,” said Bhagwat, who took over as the RSS chief in March 2009.
The Sangh supremo said India should be able to defend itself. “No one should be able to conquer us, not even if multiple powers come together. There are evil forces in the world that are aggressive by nature. A virtuous person is not safe just because of his virtues; hence, virtues should be combined with strength,” he said as the RSS prepares to enter its centenary year on Vijayadashami.
Bhagwat further said that mere brute power could be directionless and must be married with righteousness to yield the desired outcomes. “We must worship both virtues and strength. Power should be used for the protection of the good and for the destruction of the wicked. When no option is available, then wickedness has to be eradicated forcefully. We are not doing this to dominate world trade, but to ensure that everyone is able to lead a peaceful, healthy and empowered life,” he said.
Referring to atrocities on Hindus and other minorities in Bangladesh, the RSS chief said someone would worry about Hindus only when Hindus are strong.
“As Hindu society and Bharat are intertwined, the glorious nature of Hindu society will bring glory to Bharat. If the Hindu society of Bharat becomes strong, then automatically, Hindus will gain strength globally,” he said.
On Sangh’s vision of the society, Bhagwat quoted the third RSS chief Balasaheb Deoras who had said, “Hindustan is a Hindu Rashtra. Apart from this, everything else in the Sangh is transient. The entire Hindu society is the accountable custodian of this nation. The nature and tradition of this country is Hindu. Therefore, this is a Hindu Rashtra.”
The Sangh chief also dwelt on 1948 and 1975 bans that the RSS faced, terming them both as politically motivated. “Even those who imposed them knew very well that the Sangh was not harmful — on the contrary, it was beneficial. However, due to the natural ideological competition in such a large society, people in the government chose to suppress the Sangh to maintain their political dominance,” he stated.
India