Bhagwat 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." Asked if human rights defenders at the global level care about Hindus facing "exploitation and violence in the neighbouring countries", the RSS chief said someone would worry about Hindus only when Hindus are strong enough.

"As the Hindu society and Bharat are intertwined, the glorious nature of Hindu society will bring glory to Bharat. Such a strong Hindu society can only present a model for taking along the people of Bharat who do not consider themselves Hindus, as at one point they were also Hindus.

"If the Hindu society of Bharat becomes strong, then automatically, Hindus will gain strength globally," he added.

Bhagwat said work is going on to strengthen Hindu society but it is not complete yet.

"Slowly but surely, that situation is evolving," he said, adding, "This time, the way anguish against the atrocities on Hindus in Bangladesh has been expressed is unprecedented. Even local Hindus (in Bangladesh) now say -- we won't flee. We'll stay and fight for our rights." The RSS chief asserted the "internal strength" of the Hindu society was increasing. "As the organisation grows, its impact will translate naturally. Until then, we must keep fighting," he said.

"Wherever Hindus are in the world, we will do everything possible for them, following international norms. The Sangh exists for the same," Bhagwat added.

Outlining the RSS' resolve for the next quarter of the century, he said it is to unite the "entire Hindu society" and take Bharat to the pinnacle of glory, and eventually extend this transformation to the whole world.

"The Hindu society must awaken now. Forgetting divisions and selfishness, we need to shape our personal, family, social and professional life based on the 'dharmik' values rooted in Hindutva," he said when asked about his message for the well-wishers, thinkers and the Hindu society in this centenary year of the RSS.

That will pave the way for a powerful, righteous and self-reliant Bharat, he observed. "The world is waiting for a new path, and Bharat, meaning Hindu society, has to provide it as a divine duty." "Agriculture, industrial and scientific revolutions are over. Now the world needs a 'dharmic' revolution. I am not talking about religion, but human life has to be reorganised based on truth, purity, compassion and austerity. The world needs this, Bharat has to inevitably show the path," he added.

Bhagwat said the RSS is a principle-centred organisation with the idea that 'Bharat is a Hindu Rashtra' embedded in its core functioning.

"We may take inspiration and follow the direction given by great personalities, but in every desh-kaal-paristhiti (time and situation), we must carve our own path. This calls for constant discernment between what is eternal (nitya) and what is situational (anitya)," he said.

"What is nitya in the Sangh? Balasaheb once said, 'Hindustan is a Hindu Rashtra.' Apart from this, everything else in the Sangh is transient. The entire Hindu society is the accountable custodian of this nation. The nature and the 'sanskriti' of this country are Hindu. Therefore, this is a Hindu Rashtra," the RSS chief said Everything is to be done while maintaining this core, he added.

"Hence, the Sangh swayamsevak, while taking the oath, explicitly states: 'The all-round development of the Hindu Rashtra while protecting sacred Hindu dharma, Hindu 'sanskriti' and Hindu society'," he added.

Bhagwat said there is "complete freedom" in the RSS to express diverse and conflicting opinions during discussion but once a decision is reached by building consensus, everyone keeps aside their individual opinions by merging them into the collective decision.

"The eternal is preserved; the transient evolves with time, space and context," he added.