Mohan Bhagwat
Credit: PTI Photo
Pune: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday said world leaders listen carefully when Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks and this is happening because India's strength is getting manifested and the country is finding its rightful place.
Speaking at an event organised in Pune to mark 100 years of the RSS, Bhagwat suggested one should not look forward to celebrating milestones like jubilees or centenaries, but aim to complete the given task within the stipulated time.
"That is what the Sangh has been doing. Though the Sangh has completed 100 years, braving challenges and weathering many storms, it is time to introspect why the task of uniting the entire society has taken so long," he told the gathering.
It is generally believed that when India rises, global problems get resolved, conflicts diminish, and peace prevails, the RSS leader opined.
"This is recorded in history, and we must recreate it. This is the need of the hour. The current global situation demands this from India. And that is why Sangh volunteers have been working since day one with the resolve to complete this mission," he noted.
Highlighting the sacrifices made by RSS founder Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, who established the Hindutva organization in Nagpur in 1925, Bhagwat recalled Sangh volunteers began their journey of achieving the mission given to them amid numerous adversities and challenges.
There was no certainty that their work would yield positive results, observed the RSS leader, referring to early months and years of the Sangh.
"They (Sangh volunteers) sowed the seeds of success and paved the path for transformation by dedicating their lives. Our gratitude must remain with them," he added.
Highlighting India's growing stature at the global stage, Bhagwat said, "Why Prime Minister (Modi) is being heard globally with rapt attention? He is being heard because India's strength is now beginning to manifest at places where it rightfully should. And that has made the world take notice." Narrating an anecdote to the gathering, the RSS chief said he was once told the Sangh arrived 30 years late.
"I responded by saying we did not arrive late. Instead, you started listening to us late," Bhagwat stated.
When the Sangh speaks about the strength of dialogue and collective work, it refers to the entire society, he affirmed.
"Our foundation lies in unity through diversity. We must walk together, and for that, Dharma is essential. In India, all philosophies originate from a single source. Because everything is interconnected (and), we must move ahead in harmony," Bhagwat asserted.