New York: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday emphasised the principles of unity, diversity and human dignity while addressing a gathering at Madison Square Garden in New York, drawing parallels between India and the United States.
Speaking at the ‘Universal Oneness Celebration’, organised by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD), Bhagwat said that “unity and diversity” were embedded in the DNA of both countries. He said that while the US is often associated with plurality, India is widely described through the idea of “unity in diversity”.
Bhagwat said India’s civilisational destiny was to demonstrate to the world that diversity and oneness could coexist. Referring to Swami Vivekananda, he said every nation has a destiny to fulfil and described India’s role as realising and helping the world understand the idea of unity amid diversity.
“Diversity has to be celebrated, has to be respected, has to be accepted,” Bhagwat said, while stressing that people must simultaneously retain a sense of oneness.
He said differences in languages, religions and individual circumstances should not obscure the fundamental unity among human beings. Drawing an analogy with the animal kingdom, Bhagwat said humans possess the ability to think beyond basic instincts and determine how they use that ability.
“If you think in the right way, you go nearer to God. If you think in the wrong way, you go nearer to the animal kingdom,” he said.
Bhagwat Addresses Question on Muslims
At another event in New York earlier in the day, Bhagwat spoke about the relationship between Hindutva and Muslims in India. Recalling a conversation with Muslims who had questioned him about Hindutva, he said a person who considers themselves Hindu cannot believe that Muslims should have no place in India.
“If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslim in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu,” Bhagwat said, adding that Hindus must believe that different religious paths lead towards the same goal and that every human being possesses dignity.
He also cited the response of RSS volunteers to the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision in Haryana, in which 349 people were killed. Bhagwat said RSS volunteers assisted injured passengers, recovered bodies and helped arrange funeral-related procedures without differentiating between victims on the basis of religion.
Criticised Political Self-Interest
Bhagwat also criticised what he described as the growing role of self-interest in politics. He said democratic politics was heavily influenced by public opinion and called for people to work at the local level to shape social attitudes.
His remarks came during a US tour featuring multiple engagements and amid criticism from New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has described the RSS as a communal organisation and expressed concern over what he called an exclusionary vision of India.
