“We have, since time immemorial, been living harmoniously with each other. If the world wants to live so, then Bharat has to have that model of harmony within,” Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat said at the 23rd celebration of Sahjeevan Vyakhyanmala (lecture series) in Pune on December 19, 2024. He was speaking on ‘Bharat – The Vishwaguru’ where he underscored the inclusive society as a hallmark of Hindu Rashtra. He advocated that the world needs to be shown that the country can live together in harmony. He comprehensively articulated challenges and possible solutions to achieve the collective aspiration of Vishwaguru Bharat.
Besides explaining the foundational principles of Bharat as Hindu Rashtra, he explained various pre-conditions for being a Vishwaguru. He began his speech by asking, “Does the world really need a Vishwaguru? The state that the world is in today, does it show a requirement for any such need?” Further, he developed a counter-argument by stating that we are making strides in various fields, and the economy and infrastructure are being developed. The world is technologically advancing and rapidly changing. In such a scenario, one might feel that everything is going fine. Is that the case? From individual health and environmental degradation to global conflicts, the answer is – NO.
He further evaluated human evolution over the last two millennia. The Western paradigm believes in ‘survival of the fittest,’ ‘to each his own,’ ‘I will take care of my needs, you take care of yours,’ selfish interests, ‘I can only think about myself, what happens to nature, the environment is none of my business. If I destroy nature in the process, it will be fair as I have to live.’ In this process of evolution, the human beings at the bottom of the food chain rose to the top with their intellect and destroyed most of the natural resources for their own consumption. Assuming that this is how the law of nature works, our way of living evolved in the last 2000 years, posing multiple challenges related to economic upheavals and climate change today.
He argued that Bharat believes in the opposite due to our cultural context and national ethos. The Western model has thought about Artha and Kaama (material desires) along with Moksha but missed out on the dimension of Dharma. They considered the physical, mental and intellectual faculties of human beings, but the spiritual element – Atman – is missing in the Western consideration. Hence, Bharat is seen as a hope and can be a guiding force for the world.
While discussing the solution, he insisted that we all should be clear about what and who we are. Our Rashtra is not a product of the political process but is based on shared culture and the idea of Dharma. The entire diversity is the expression of inherent unity. One can see Bhagwan the way one is, which has been our belief. Who we are, and our identity cannot be an issue for conflicts. We have always seen all beings as our own. Clarity about this Bharatiya nationhood as a civilisational concept is the first vital dimension to attain the Vishwaguru status. Blind imitation of the Western model is detrimental to realising our potential. Therefore, our national identity should be a matter of consensus and not conflict.
Secondly, his argument continued around the issue of tolerance and acceptance. He said, “only what we deem is right’ cannot be in tune with such ethos. So, conversion, through force and denigrating the other’s way of worship for the same, is against our national life. We all, especially the ideologies that have entered Bharat, should understand and accept this national ethos. The wilful following of other sects or religions is not new to Bharat, but not the use of money or ‘soul harvesting’ practices.
The third point was about religious fundamentalism, religious supremacist attitudes and a sense of separatism with a ‘majority-minority’ consideration. He clarified, “Some ideologies have come from outside of Bharat that traditionally have intolerance towards others. They had ruled this nation some time in history, so they feel entitled to rule again. But they forget that our country runs according to the constitution”.
Explaining the historical experience, he clearly stated, “Our sanskriti teaches us that we acknowledge and accept you as you are with your faith and belief. But time and again we have been backstabbed. Last backstab was when this assimilation had started to happen and Aurangzeb killed his brother Dara Shikoh and others like him. This brought back a wave of intolerance. The wave re-emerged in 1857. The British saw that these people fight amongst themselves but when it comes to a foreign oppressor, they all come together. So it is better to let them fight, and thought it best to ‘divide and rule.’ It resulted in the creation of Pakistan.” As a solution, he said, “We live in independent Bharat as Bharatiyas, we are one; then what is this talk of differences, superiority, supremacy? Who are minority and majority? We all are equals. Therefore, we should forget intolerance and become one with the nation’s all-inclusive sanskriti”.
At the same time, he spoke about Hindu Unity in his fourth point. “Those who are the keepers of this sanskriti must remember, fear arises only because we are disorganised. Become united, get empowered. Increase your potential so much that those who try to scare you, must feel scared themselves to see you as enemy. But do not scare others. Be that Bharatiya,” he gave a call. In this context, he warned about raising new issues daily, leading to social discord. He said, “But how can raking up new issues every day thinking that we can become a leader of Hindus, or create extreme hate, doubt, enmity due to the weight of past horrors be tolerated? This cannot go on. In the end, what is our solution? We have to give the world a model to emulate if we want to show them we can live harmoniously with each other.”
Sarsanghchalak further said, “The British did not create our nation; it is Sanatana (Eternal), it has always been. It is not based on politics, but on Dharma, Sanskriti, and Satya. The foundation of our nation is the Dharma that has been there since the creation of the universe.” All of us should be clear about this historical truth. Merely having a noble philosophy is not sufficient; our actions should be in tune with it. He emphasised, “Saying one thing and doing something else altogether is the mark of cowardliness. Thoughts on caste, discrimination should be thrown away lock, stock and barrel. This action should be reflected in our homes. In the past 1000-1200 years, we practised many adharmic acts under the garb of Dharma, unknowingly due to ignorance and sometimes because of selfishness. We must remove that adharma from our lives.” He extolled the glorious Hindu tradition of holding the omniscient in highest possible regard saying, “Follow what the sages preach, about what the erudite say; but pay attention to what the seers show because only they know what the truth behind the creation of Dharma, sanskriti is. They are the true Sakshatkaris – who are constantly connected to this truth. Bharat is blessed to have this tradition going on all along”.
Dr Bhagwat as the Sarsanghchalak, the leader of the largest voluntary organisation in the world, has analysed the global situation in depth. He has given a call to all sections of Bharat to contribute to building a model that would provide solutions to the world challenges. Bharat is regaining the confidence and asserting its rightful place on the global stage. In such a scenario, what our conduct should be and how we should present a model to the world so that others accept us as a guiding force exhibited the framework of his speech.
