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Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said there is no “Ahindu” (non-Hindu) in India, asserting that every citizen, regardless of faith, descends from the same ancestors and shares a common cultural foundation rooted in Hindu civilisation. Speaking at an event titled “100 Years of Sangh Journey: New Horizons”, Bhagwat said the RSS does not seek power or political dominance but aims to organise Hindu society for the glory of Bharat Mata. “When an organised force is raised in the form of the Sangh, it doesn’t want power or prominence. It just wants to serve and organise society for the glory of Bharat Mata,” Bhagwat said, adding that although people once doubted the RSS’s intentions, “now they believe.” The event was also attended by RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale and several dignitaries from different walks of life. “Hindus Are Responsible for Bharat” Explaining why the RSS focuses on uniting Hindu society, Bhagwat said: “It is not that the British gave us nationhood; we are an ancient nation. Every country has a core culture, and the core culture of Bharat is Hindu. Whatever description we give, it leads us to the word Hindu.” He added that all Indians — including Muslims and Christians — are descendants of the same ancestors and part of the same civilisational stream. “There is actually no ‘Ahindu’ in Bharat. All Muslims and Christians are descendants of the same ancestors. They probably don’t know it, or they have been made to forget it,” Bhagwat said. He argued that knowingly or unknowingly, everyone in India follows Bharatiya culture, which he equated with the Hindu ethos. “Nobody is Ahindu, and every Hindu must realise he is a Hindu, because being Hindu means being responsible for Bharat,” he said. “Bharat Is a Hindu Rashtra” Bhagwat reiterated the RSS’s long-standing position that India is a Hindu Rashtra, saying this idea does not contradict the Constitution. “That is why the organisation of Hindu society, that is why Bharat is a Hindu Rashtra. It is not contradictory with anything we are doing today. On the contrary, this conforms with the Constitution we are following today,” he said. He added that Sanatana Dharma and Bharat are inseparable, and that “the progress of Sanatana Dharma is the progress of Bharat.” “RSS Faced Opposition and Bans” Reflecting on the RSS’s journey, Bhagwat said the organisation’s path had not been easy, facing “fierce opposition for about 60 to 70 years,” including two bans and violent attacks on its volunteers. “Swayamsevaks were murdered. In every way, it was tried that we should not thrive. But Swayamsevaks give their all to the Sangh and expect nothing in return. On that basis, we have mastered all these situations and reached a point where society is credible,” he said. “Not Reactionary, But Organisational” Bhagwat rejected claims that the RSS was born out of reaction to external circumstances, insisting that its foundation was based on the need for social organisation and unity, not opposition. “The organisation of a society is not against anyone; it is not a reaction. The Sangh was created out of a need to maintain unity. It has come to fulfil, not to destroy,” he said. He also acknowledged that social divisions had weakened Indian society and stressed the need to restore unity while preserving diversity. “We have forgotten who we are as Bharat. We must remind everyone of our shared identity and remove all differences. Our tradition is to create unity without disturbing diversity — diversity is the decoration of unity,” Bhagwat said. “Reach Every Village, Every Caste and Class” Marking the organisation’s centenary year, Bhagwat said the RSS’s focus is to expand its presence to every village and community across castes, classes, and religious denominations. “We see Hindu society as one homogeneous society, but the world sees so much diversity. We have to reach every diversity,” he said. “We want to organise the entire Hindu society — all 142 crore people of Bharat — including those who came from outside during history,” he added, noting that the RSS has already begun dialogue with those who do not consider themselves Hindu.
