Top News

New York, August 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has said politics has increasingly become a “game of self-interest”, arguing that lasting social change must begin within communities before it can influence governments and public policy.

Addressing religious leaders at the “One World, One Humanity” program in New York, Bhagwat said political action alone could not overcome deep-rooted social divisions or create lasting unity.

“These things do not happen through politics. Sorry to say, but the fact is, politics has now become a game of self-interest,” Bhagwat said.

He argued that an excessive focus on individual interests made it difficult to address broader social problems, while collective thinking could provide a more effective path.

“Where there is me, I am I. There is no solution. We and ours is the solution,” he said, adding that his experience in India showed that change had to begin with society.

Bhagwat said religious leaders sought to influence political decisions, prevent conflicts and encourage governments to adopt appropriate policies, but such efforts should follow the creation of social awareness rather than begin with political intervention.

“We want to influence the politics. We have to at some point of time. But we cannot start with those,” he said.

According to Bhagwat, public opinion could be shaped through dialogue, service and practical examples of cooperation. In democratic systems, he said, political decisions ultimately depend on citizens' views.

“Politics today, especially in democracy, it depends on the public view,” he said. “If there is public opinion, then no politician will dare to go against it.”

He urged religious leaders to take their shared commitments back to their respective countries and establish local examples of selfless service and social unity.

“We should create at our own place the models of the world we want,” Bhagwat said, stressing the need for sustained dialogue to connect such initiatives.

He also called for interfaith engagement to extend beyond senior religious leaders to communities at the provincial, district and block levels, saying broader participation could gradually change the social atmosphere.

Bhagwat cautioned that transforming public attitudes would be a long and difficult process. Knowledge, he said, would have little impact unless it translated into everyday conduct and practice.

“If we start working together, we can change the situation of the world,” he said. “But it will take long time. It is not so easy to clean up public mind.”

Bhagwat has led the RSS since 2009. The Sarsanghchalak is the organisation's highest-ranking office-bearer and provides its broad ideological and organizational direction.

Founded in Nagpur in 1925 by KB Hedgewar, the RSS marked its centenary in 2025. It describes itself as a volunteer-based cultural organization with a nationwide network of local branches and affiliated bodies.