Even as the Western world has been propagating the idea that uniformity is a must for unity, India has always shown that there could be unity even in diversity, said Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

He spoke at the ‘Swaranjali’ event organised by the RSS in the City on Sunday. Bhagwat said that it was important to treat everyone as equals. Bhagwat said, “It is not all ‘are’ one, but all ‘is’ one (sic).”

Over 3,000 people, including top BJP leaders D V Sadananda Gowda, Ananth Kumar and B S Yeddyurappa participated in the event.

Noting that India was not just a piece of land, but was known for its rich values, cultures and traditions, Bhagwat said, “Having imbibed the Indian cultures and traditions, whether or not people know it, they are all Hindus.” He said that the RSS was a way of life and that one had to contribute one hour every day for the service of the country, without questioning what they would get out of it.

“Sow a habit and reap a character,” Bhagwat said. The RSS sarsanghchalak said that as India would soon be the country with the highest number of young people, the direction in which it headed forward would be important.

Dr K Radhakrishnan, former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, was felicitated on the occasion. An admirer of Indian classical music that he is, Dr Radhakrishnan spoke at length about the ragas that were played by the RSS band during the ‘Swaranjali’ event.

“In my experience, listening to music has been great as it relieves stress and acts like a tonic at difficult times,” he said.

Noting that there was a need to accelerate India’s growth in the next 20 years, Radhakrishnan called for a digital and secular India. He pointed out that in terms of exports, India was far behind many developing countries. “A lot has to be done to improve infrastructure in the country. India is a major importer of electronics, we have to become exporters,” Radhakrishnan said.