RSS chief calls for making Bharat mighty; says country facing 'wickedness of evil forces' on borders
NEW DELHI: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has called for unity in the Hindu society and making Bharat so mighty in military power and economy that it cannot be "conquered" even if "multiple powers come" together.
He, however, stressed that strength should be combined with virtues and righteousness as a "mere brute power" can be directionless leading to "blatant violence".
India has no option but to be powerful as it has been "witnessing the wickedness of the evil forces" on all its borders, Bhagwat said in an interview published in the latest issue of RSS-linked weekly magazine Organiser.
The interview was conducted following the meeting of RSS' highest decision-making body Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha in Bengaluru about two months ago.
"We must strive for strength. As we pray through the daily prarthana (prayer): 'Ajayyam cha visvasya dehisa saktim' (Grant us such strength that globally we are invincible)," Bhagat told the magazine when asked to share the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's vision on national security, military strength and economic power.
He stressed that India must not be dependent on others for national security. "True strength is internal. We should be able to defend ourselves. No one should be able to conquer us, not even if multiple powers come together."
"There are evil forces in the world that are aggressive by nature," he said, adding, "We have no option but to be powerful as we have been witnessing the wickedness of the evil forces on all our borders."
"A virtuous person is not safe just because of his virtues. Hence virtues should be combined with strength. Mere brute power can be directionless, leading to blatant blatant violence. Hence power should be combined with righteousness," Bhagwat underlined.
Continuing with his argument, the RSS chief said, "So we must worship both virtue and strength. For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked -- this should be the nature of our power."
"When no option is available, then wickedness has to be eradicated forcefully," he said. "We are not doing this to dominate world trade, but to ensure that everyone should be able to lead a peaceful, healthy and empowered life."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Mevani attacks BJP over atrocities on Dalits, weaker sections in Gujarat
Congress's Vadgam MLA Jignesh Mevani on Saturday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah's silence on alleged incidents of atrocities against Dalits, adivasis and other weaker sections in Gujarat, and announced that the party will hit the streets to raise the issue. Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters in the Capital, Mevani accused the PM, the Home Minister and the RSS of 'putting the values of Manusmriti above the Constitution'. Citing the low conviction rate in cases of atrocities on Dalits, Mevani said at the national level, this figure is 30-35%, but in Gujarat it is only 3-5%, which means 95% of the culprits in the state go scot-free. The Congress leader told reporters that several incidents of Dalit atrocities have been reported from Gujarat such as the murder of a 19-year-old Dalit youth in Amreli, the alleged setting ablaze of a Dalit senior citizen in Patan and the alleged gangrape of a Dalit girl in which BJP members are alleged to have been involved. 'The Congress is preparing to launch a massive demonstration in August-September against atrocities being afflicted on Dalits, adivasis and those from the weakened sections in Gujarat,' he announced.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Ex-min Netam switches stand on delisting of tribals, questions Cong
Raipur: Former Union minister and senior tribal leader Arvind Netam after attending a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( ) event in Nagpur, said that the visit offered him a new perspective on the Sangh's inner workings. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Speaking to the mediapersons on Saturday in Raipur, Netam said he discussed measures to reduce the ideological distance with tribal people. Netam also thanked RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat for inviting him. Netam announced a change in his position on the issue of delisting, which refers to the removal of individuals from the Scheduled Tribe list if they convert to another religion. He said that although he once opposed delisting, he "now supports it as a way to check forced or induced religious conversions among tribal people". Responding to the criticism from Congress MP Deepak Baij, who questioned Netam's growing proximity to the RSS, Netam hit back by asking whether Baij himself had "converted to Christianity". Netam further challenged the Congress party to clearly state its position on religious conversions. He brought up the protection of tribal land, forests, and water resources as another major concern. He argued that land acquisition for industrial use must not result in the permanent loss of tribal-land ownership. Instead, he suggested that such land be provided on lease, allowing tribal families to retain their rights and connection to their land.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
UBT flays Sena over Durgadi temple visit curbs on Eid
Kalyan: Members from both Shiv Sena's Eknath Shinde and UBT factions held separate protests near Durgadi fort in Kalyan on Saturday. The fort houses religious sites for both Hindus and Muslims. During Bakr Eid, Muslim worshippers gather in large numbers to pray at the fort's Idgah section. Consequently, Hindu devotees are restricted from entering the Durga temple located at the fort's front to maintain peace. On Saturday, police prevented both Sena factions from crossing the barricades near the fort. The Sena UBT's up neta Vijay Salvi criticised Shiv Sena, noting that while the Ghanta Naad movement was initiated by Anand Dighe in 1982, with deputy CM Eknath Shinde leading it for many years, the state administration has now been restricting devotee entry despite his positions as CM and deputy CM showing duplicity on Hindutva." Sena MLA Vishwanath Bhoir also criticised the administration for the restrictions on temple entry. — Pradeep Gupta
