Those who think Muslims have no place in India cannot remain Hindus, says Mohan Bhagwat
text_fields
New York: India and the United States have unity and diversity embedded in their DNA, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat has said.
He was delivering the keynote address at the ‘Universal Oneness Celebration’ organised by American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) at Madison Square Garden in New York. The event was attended by leaders and prominent figures from various religious communities.
Bhagwat said nations were not merely geographical territories and that each nation had a specific role to play in the design of the universe. Quoting Swami Vivekananda, he said India had a special mission.
Unity and diversity are in India’s DNA. We are one, but that oneness becomes more beautiful through our diversity. India’s mission is to make the world understand this, he said. He called for diversity to be respected, accepted and celebrated, noting that people differed in terms of languages and religions.
Bhagwat also spoke about the differences between animals and humans. While animals live primarily according to their natural instincts, humans have the ability to think, he said. If humans think in the right manner, they move closer to the divine, while wrong thinking can take them towards an animal-like state, he added.
Recalling an interaction with a group of Muslims at another event in New York, Bhagwat said they had asked him about Hindutva. He said a true Hindu was one who believed that all paths ultimately lead to the same destination and that every human being had equal dignity.
“A person who thinks Muslims should not exist in India can never remain a Hindu,” he said.
Bhagwat also said politics had become a game of self-interest, while the RSS taught its members to give without expecting anything in return. He said no politician would dare act against public opinion and called for society to work together at the local level.
Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the first Indian-American Muslim to become mayor of New York City, had strongly criticised Bhagwat's visit to the US. Describing the RSS as a communal organisation, Mamdani said he believed in an India characterised by secularism and diversity, while arguing that the organisation promoted views contrary to these values.