There will be no Hindutva without Muslims in India: Bhagwat
new delhi — Often under attack for its ‘exclusionary’ agenda, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said there will be no ‘Hindu rashtra’ without Muslims in India and Hindutva encompasses fraternity and unity in diversity.
Expounding on the Hindutva concept in his second of the threeday lecture series, he said that Hindutva was the basic thought of all communities residing in India.
Bhagwat, speaking at the event ‘Future of Bharat: An RSS perspective’ at Vigyan Bhavan here, also said that the Sangh firmly believed in the Indian Constitution and does not take part in politics. He spent a large part of his speech expounding on the RSS’ adherence to the concept of Hindutva and said unity in diversity, sacrifice, self-control and a spirit of gratitude were defining characteristics of Hindutva.
With the Congress and other parties accusing the RSS of following a divisive agenda and trying to impose uniformity, Bhagwat said there is no Hindutva without minorities being part of the society.
He said political parties follow different ideologies but if the spirit of camaraderie was forgotten, it can lead to difficulties. “The Sangh works for ‘bandhubhav’ (fraternity) and for this there is only one basis — unity in diversity. This is our thought process which the world calls as Hindutva and that’s why we say we are a Hindu rashtra (nation). It does not mean that we do not need Muslims, this does not work. The day it is said that we do not need Muslims, that day it will not be Hindutva.
The day it is said that we do not need Muslims, that day it will not be Hindutva
Mohan Bhagwat, RSS chief