Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is entering its centenary year, a journey of hundred years that began with Vijayadashami of 1925. The Sangh has planned some activities on this occasion. Our work has been going on for 100 years. What is the thought behind working for such a long time? We must understand this clearly and that thought must always remain awakened behind our work. For that purpose, let us reflect a little on why the Sangh, which is entering its 100th year, is the way it is, what is Sangh. We say in our prarthana,
Vijetri Cha Nah Samhata Karyashaktih Vidhayasya Dharmasya Samrakshanam..
Param Vaibhavam Netum Etat Swarashtram
Samartha Bhavatu..
We go to Shakha every day and do small, simple activities regularly. We have been doing it for 100 years. There is not much change in it. But why are we doing the same activities every day with so much devotion and faith? To be capable. What for? Why strength is required? (For) Param Vaibhavam Netum Etat Swarashtram. We say in the prarthana that this is a Hindu Rashtra. Why? Because Hindu society is responsible for it. If something good happens to this nation, the work of Hindu society increases; if something goes wrong, the blame also falls on Hindu society as it is the creator and caretaker of this country. That is why this is a Hindu Rashtra. So we have to be capable to make our nation supremely glorious. And how will we achieve this? We will do a lot of devotion, Bhagwan will incarnate and He will set Hindustan right. Is this what will happen? No, we do not have such imagination. It is Bhagwan’s will, whatever has to happen will happen. But we say why wait for Bhagwan? We will have to make our own efforts.
All of us have to become strong. This is not the work of one person. This is not the work of one organisation either. The whole society will have to become capable. We have to organise the entire Hindu society. When the whole society stands up for something, there is no power that can win over or defeat it. The ultimate glory of a nation depends on the ability of the entire society. This is the work.
Doctor sahab has told us what to do, we all swayamsevaks know it. We must not blame others for our condition. We have some shortcomings and we have to correct them. Therefore, Be and Make – become a swayamsevak by joining the Sangh and make everyone in the whole society our swayamsevak. This is what we do and will be done similarly in the future also.
Now the Sangh has grown. Earlier no one knew about the Sangh, today everyone knows. Earlier no one believed in the Sangh, today everyone does. Those who oppose us, they do so with their lips but believe in their hearts. If they don’t believe completely, they believe in some things. They say absurd things due to politics but know the truth inside. This is the situation. Therefore, now we can do one thing. We have to do the all-round development of our nation by protecting our sacred Hindu dharma, Hindu sanskriti and Hindu society. We are already making arrangements to counter the threats. But for the Hindu society to be a good-strong-true Hindu and follow Hindutva, all Hindus need to be considered as our own, in our homes, families, social life, own life, the behaviour must be of Hindutva. We have to do this ourselves and take it forward to the society as well. We will expand our work till the centenary year. We have to work on two things – Expansion (Vistar) and Strengthening (Dridhikaran). So, we will take the Shakha to every village. At least till the mandal level and in cities, localities, we need a Shakha which can handle the entire locality or all the villages of that mandal. We have to establish such Shakhas. This is called expansion and strengthening. Karyakartas must also do this. Then we will increase our contact. We will keep in touch with the nobility of the society. Some of them are our well-wishers, have our ideology, are not directly in the Sangh. Some of them are not of our ideology, but they are not our opponents either, they are good people. Some of them do not like our ideology but they are genuine, are engaged in some kind of service with selfless intellect. And there will be some opponents, some distractors, but some join us in certain matters. All of them have faith in the Sangh, and the credibility of the Sangh. We will keep in touch with all these people. Some will join in our work, some will join us in their work, some will keep doing their work independently, but everyone’s direction will be the same – Param Vaibhavam Netum Etat Swarashtram Vidhayasya Dharmasya Samrakshanam. We will do what is called ‘networking’ of such gentlemen, we will awaken them, tell them the true situation of the country. All such people will get inspiration from us to move in one direction, and they will surely do, this is happening. More has to be done, till its completion.
What is being a Hindu?
Another thing is, on the basis of this, an opposite dialogue goes on in the country. People are misled that they are “not a Hindu.” What does it mean to be not a Hindu? What is a Hindu? What does it mean to be a Hindu? Being a Hindu means to be the most generous human being in the world. A Hindu is one who accepts everyone. A Hindu is one who has goodwill towards everyone. And a Hindu is also one who does not get beaten, is a descendant of valiant ancestors. But even after having such power, he does not misuse it. He does not punish the innocent, does not create any conflict, and does not fight. Vinashaya Cha Dushkritam, he uses his strength. He does not use education to create conflict, but to impart knowledge; does not use wealth to get intoxicated, but to give charity; and he uses power to protect the weak. The one who has this virtue, Matrivat Paradareshu Paradravyeshu Loshthavat Atmavat Sarva Bhuteshu, is a Hindu. Whoever he worships, whatever language he speaks, whatever caste he is born in, whatever prant (province) he belongs to, whatever food customs he follows, those who have these values, they all are Hindus. Yet how do they create fault-lines? By saying, ‘Your Gods and Goddesses are different, your customs are different, your lineage is different, your so and so is different, that’s why you are different.’ The world sees division in all diversity. Those who know that actually Bharat is one, see the unity beneath the diversity. They know that in reality there is no diversity, there are types, varieties, there are diversities of unity. We will change the dialogue, and the discussions. We will choose five issues to work on so that it gets assimilated into practical conduct. If it has to be implemented in the society, it should first become a part of our lives.
We have some shortcomings and we have to correct them. Therefore, Be and Make – become a swayamsevak and make everyone our swayamsevak
Social Harmony/Equality with Fraternity
We have forgotten our Dharma. Our selfishness and discrimination have taken over, which is why in the name of Dharma, a great adharma wrongly followed in the form of caste discrimination, untouchability, feelings of high-low, superior-inferior. We have to completely erase this picture. As Sangh swayamsevaks, we must see to it that all practices can go on among each other in the area where we live, communicate, our field of work. Outsiders believe in various types of Hindus, let them. We believe it is one, the entire Hindu society is undivided, there is no discrimination. People see caste, language, worship, and so on. We don’t, but people do. So what needs to be done? In our field of work, we should have friends from all ‘types’ of Hindus that the world recognises. Going to each other’s houses, meeting just like friends do, eating together, helping out in times of need, sharing happiness and sorrow. We must resolve to have similar relations with Hindus of all classes. There are friends of the family too, there are neighbours, relations where we go to each other’s auspicious functions. If anything untoward happens, we reach out and inquire about their happiness and sorrow, invite each other. Similarly, resolve to have the family’s friends to be from all types of Hindus. Start from here. Then move forward as much as you can. Every swayamsevak should now make this effort. In the coming two years, we should be in a situation where all our friends are from all types that are recognised in the Hindu society. And the friends of my family are from all those friend families. Therefore, we must explain and prepare everyone at our homes also.
Another initiative to be taken here as Sangh, as Shakha is, Temples-Water-Crematoriums must become open for all Hindus in all areas where our group is influential and has power. Crematoriums of different castes have already been built. It is alright if they are built that way. Still, no Hindu would be denied entry in them for not being of that caste. Panghat (riverbanks) should be common to all. This has been going on since before. So they built different wells in every village. Let them remain separate, there is no harm in that. But everyone must be able to fill water there. And temples, they are the Bhagwans of Hindus, so all Hindus must be able to go and have darshan. Make an effort to explain this to people. Making an effort does not mean imposing. The thought process needs to change, only then it will become permanent. Otherwise it continues till we are present, and goes back to how it was when we are gone. Therefore, it is imperative to bring this change into effect by changing the mind of the society. Let us do this now.
Environment-Friendly Lifestyle
We know what needs to be done about the environment. Intellectual, scientific people, influential leaders, people from all walks of life preach about it. In reality, the only one who sees it as it is, is the Hindu ideology. Because it is in the Hindu tradition to see sentience, and tradition everywhere. When we accidently touch a book with our feet, we don’t see which book it is, we immediately bow down to it and repent. We may not even know that it is related to environment, but we have got into this habit. We worship the earth, Vishnu Patni Namastubhyam Padasparsham Kshamasva Me We have to walk on the ground, but as soon as we wake up in the morning, before putting our feet on it, we bow down and ask for forgiveness and then get on with the daily activities. We worship the snake, we consider the cow and river as mother, we circumambulate (pradakshina) the mountains, because we believe that all this is sentient, nothing is inanimate, everything has life. And everything is pure, nothing is impure; there may be uncleanliness, but there is no impurity anywhere. This idea is only ours, no one else thinks like this in the world. And so whatever needs to be done about the environment, we have to do it. So we must start with small things in our homes. Save water, remove single-use plastic, and plant trees. Make your house a green home, plant a garden in the courtyard of the house and plant more and more trees in social initiatives. Each one of us has to do this, we have to create awareness about it in our homes.
Our language, clothing, worship, house, travel, food must be our own
Family Enlightenment
For all this to happen, we will have to teach our family as well. All over the world, there has been degradation of values. We read all about it in global news. In foreign countries, children go to school with guns and shoot their teachers and friends. Deterioration of value system always hampers the humanity. We see the similar degradation of values in our own country. Due to the misuse and abuse of media, the new generation is forgetting its values rapidly and is going in the same direction, with no one to save. Everyone has a mobile in their hand these days. There is no conversation at home. Even if sitting together, everyone is on their mobile whiling away their time. No one bothers about others. Today, family means only a mother, father, son and a daughter living in a house. Family means tradition is carried forward, that family is a unit of society in cultural, economic and all ways. This thing is visible as of now, but vanishing rapidly. And, we should start exemplifying this from our own family.
When we realise who we are, we understand who are ours. All these suffering people are our own people
Hence, once a week, everyone should stay in their homes in the evening at a fixed time. After Bhajan Pujan is done at home, we must eat home-cooked food together with joy, without passing any critical comments about the meal. Then have informal long chats for two-three hours. There are two topics of discussion for this conversation – First, what is the tradition of our kula, our family. Everything that is good in it, which is in accordance with the times, have we preserved it or not and whatever that should be changed, have we changed it or not, this must be discussed. Like our family, our country also has a tradition. In that too, deliberate what is appropriate in accordance with the times, which is good, have we preserved it or not, what should be changed, have we changed it or not, how is it necessary to change it and how is it necessary to preserve it. Don’t impose any rules regarding this, everyone must discuss it together. Leave your mobile outside, and make some small consensus from these discussions. Yes, this does not happen in our house, this should be done. Oh this is happening in our house, it should be stopped. Implement this consensus that everyone has made together. Discuss like this every week.
The second topic is that, we all do a lot for ourselves every day. We all do things for our family too every day. Because we are fine, sar salaamat to pagadi pachaas, and we are fine when our family is fine. But the reason for both the family and us being fine is our society. What do we do for it every day, how much time do we give, how much do we spend, everyone must make some small resolutions after contemplating on this. Everyone can do something or the other. Even a child on his birthday, can at least invite those whom they usually do not invite, connect with them, offer them food with respect. Since when did celebrating birthday involve cutting a cake, why blow out a candle? If there is a birthday then we will go to mandir, have Bhagwan’s darshan, bow down to our parents, light a diya (lamp) and then go to some such place where our companionship, love, affection, a little donation is needed, we will do that. It is a small thing. Everyone must become active by taking such small resolutions. This is called family enlightenment. Our language, clothing, worship, house, travel, food must be our own. We know what we have to do outside due to compulsion, but all this will not happen inside the house. All this should be our own. And our family will be the support base of the neighbourhood as people of Bharat do not live only for themselves. They take care of themselves and the family, but also take care of the neighbourhood, the society. This change should come in our family and the understanding of all these topics should come from it.
Reason for both the family and us being fine is our society. What do we do for it every day, how much time do we give, how much do we spend, everyone must make some small resolutions
Self-Realisation/Swadeshi
The important thing is the realisation of self – who we are. From Swadeshi to self-pride, everything should be explained and followed. We must not bring food that can be made at home from outside. If you have to, then bring it because someone’s job depends on it. Don’t buy things that are not made in your country, do without it. If it is absolutely essential and can’t be done without, then it is alright. But we will buy on our own terms. If equipment breaks down, don’t throw it in the garbage and bring a new one. First see if it can be repaired or not. Live frugally, simply. Don’t show off your wealth. Don’t spend wastefully on marriages. Use that money in the service of society, save it and donate Mangal Nidhi. This is Swadeshi, the realisation of self. When we realise who we are, we understand who are ours. All these suffering people are our own people. Serving them does not mean doing favour to them. The feeling of, we had forgotten our duty, now we have started doing it, it is an absolution for our sins, is experienced.
A Hindu is one who accepts everyone.
A Hindu is one who has goodwill towards everyone
Fundamental Duties
The last thing is to follow the rules. Civic discipline, civic sense. We are citizens of this country. We have our own Government, elected representatives. So they make rules, but we should follow them. Small things like paying taxes on time, not breaking red lights are examples. Protests happen, there is a provision for that in the system. But if you want to protest, don’t destroy public property, don’t do it in a way that harms human life. This is our society, disorderly conduct doesn’t mean protest. Gradually, we should imbibe this ourselves and help our neighbours and the society understand and inculcate this nature as well.
The Sangh has chosen these five things to bring to the society. First, these should come into the life of all swayamsevaks. Because when we take these things to the society, they will not see what Mohan Bhagwat is saying. Let Mohan Bhagwat say anything, the society will see whether the RSS karyakarta living in my neighbourhood is doing all this or not. If he is doing it, then he will imbibe those values in lifestyle.
Otherwise, he will listen, say wow, it is a very good thing, but will not do it. As we have to take this idea of Panch-Parivartan to the society, in the coming 1.5-2 years, this picture should be formed in our home, our life, our social activities and the place of our livelihood.
Keep making yourself capable by coming to the Shakha every day, do all the activities with understanding, whatever quality is acquired from it should be imbibed. For that, every work should be excellent, it brings joy, and from joy, sanskar is formed
On one hand, keep making yourself capable by coming to the Shakha every day, do all the activities with understanding, whatever quality is acquired from it should be imbibed. For that, every work should be excellent, it brings joy, and from joy, sanskar is formed. On the other hand, implement these five things in all the four aspects of your life and communicate about it with acquaintances. We have to do this work. After the centenary year, we have to take it to the society. The work is in front of us. While doing everything, keep this thought always alive in the mind, do all these works with alertness, this is the need today. According to that, our plans are being made. It is in all of our hands to make them successful, let us do that. This is my earnest request.
(This write up is based on the speech delivered by Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat at Alwar, Rajasthan addressing a gathering of swayamsevaks on September 16, 2024)
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