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As the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) nears its centenary, a three-day lecture series titled '100 Years' Journey of RSS: New Horizons' by sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat at Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan turned into a larger civilisational dialogue.

Bhagwat's speech was a reminder of the fact that RSS was "formed with Bharat as its central thought. Its purposefulness is in Bharat becoming Vishwaguru". For him, the RSS is not just a hundred-year-old organisation, but a carrier of a civilisation spanning millennia.

The Original Wound

The RSS traces its birth to 1925 and the vision of Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, a Nagpur-based freedom fighter. Trained in Anushilan Samiti, he joined the Non-Cooperation Movement of 1920. Yet he believed that political freedom would be hollow without cultural unity.

Hedgewar diagnosed Bharat's "deepest wound" as the disunity within Hindu society, exploited by the British through caste and linguistic divides. His remedy: unite Hindus, build character in youth, and allow society to heal itself. Thus, on Vijaya Dashami in 1925, he founded the RSS, not as a political outfit but as a cultural force, with daily shakhas as laboratories of nation-building.

As Bhagwat reminded, "By forming the Sangh, Dr. Hedgewar ji put forward the objective of organising the entire Hindu society."

Not Power, But Purpose

The RSS grows organically through daily shakhas and service projects across the country. The Sangh builds character and community without the props of foreign funds, lobbyists, or PR machinery.

"The Sangh exists for Bharat to become Vishwaguru," Bhagwat said, stressing it thrives on "pure love and honest intention."

Hindutva Without Apology

Hindutva, the core RSS ideology, was a central theme at Vigyan Bhawan. Often branded "communal," Bhagwat reclaimed it as a civilisational truth.

"Hindu means one who believes in following their own path, who does not force others to change, and who respects others' faith. Hindu means inclusive," he said. "Hindutva is not exclusion — it is expansion. Hindutva is truth, love, and belongingness."

He recalled how Hindutva welcomed Jews fleeing Rome, Parsis from Persia, and Tibetans seeking refuge. He argued that to call it "narrow" is to misunderstand Bharat.

It was the spirit of Hindutva that welcomed Jews fleeing Rome, Parsis escaping Persia, Tibetans seeking refuge, and countless others

Bharat As Hindu Rashtra

For the RSS, the concept of "rashtra" goes beyond the European idea of nation. Hedgewar described Hindu Rashtra as a cultural identity rooted in common history and way of life, not a religious state.

"A Hindu Rashtra does not mean uniformity; it means unity rooted in civilisational values," Bhagwat said. With bluntness, he added, "Our sages and seers have already declared Bharat a Hindu Rashtra. It does not depend on any authorised proclamation; it is the truth. Accepting it benefits you; not accepting harms you."

The Call Of Dharma

Bhagwat's sharpest intervention was on dharma. "Dharma is beyond rituals and ceremonies. Religion at the top of all religions is dharma. Dharma teaches us balance. It is the middle path that protects us from extremism. Dharma is where diversity is accepted and the existence of all is respected."

Akhand Bharat: Beyond maps

Critics often dismiss Akhand Bharat as imperial fantasy, but Bhagwat redefined it. "Bharat is Akhand. It is a fact of life," he said.

For him, it is not about redrawing borders but about cultural memory. "Our ancestors, our sanskriti, and our motherland unite us. Akhand Bharat is not politics; it is the unity of people's consciousness. When this sentiment awakens, peace and prosperity will naturally follow."

He stressed it as a civilisational idea, not a cartographic one — a river of shared festivals, shrines, and histories binding people beyond political boundaries.

Adaptability: Sangh's Secret

Despite bans and vilification, the RSS has grown into the world's largest socio-cultural movement. Bhagwat credited its adaptability, anchored on three non-negotiables:

"First, through individual character-building, change in society is possible. Second, organise society, and transformation follows. Third, Bharat is a Hindu Rashtra. Apart from these, everything else in the Sangh can change."

A Heartbeat For Civilisation

Bhagwat's address was about civilisational confidence. He argued that Akhand Bharat is a remembrance of unity, not conquest. The Sangh, he said, is not a political machine but a cultural force shaping society through service and discipline.

His call was clear: Bharat must embrace its dharmic path and Hindu essence, stepping into the future not as an echo of the West, but as the Vishwaguru it was always meant to be.

(The writer is a senior multimedia journalist.)