RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday reiterated that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), despite facing allurements and repeated invitations to join politics, has remained steadfast to its core mission of ‘vyakti nirman’ (character building) over the past 100 years.
Addressing swayamsevaks at the annual Vijayadashami function in Nagpur, which also marked the Sangh’s centenary, Bhagwat said his speech was meant to share conclusions from the organisation’s century-long journey.
He emphasised that reforms in the global order must come gradually, step by step, to prevent destruction. “India must present a development model based on a holistic and integrated outlook, rooted in dharma, and offer it to the world,” he said.
Explaining the idea of dharma, Bhagwat said it is not confined to worship, rituals, or traditions but is the principle that connects all. Social transformation, he added, is possible through living examples of integrity, selflessness and social leadership—values that RSS seeks to cultivate through its shakhas.
“Over the last 100 years, the RSS has been offered temptations and even invited to enter politics. But the Sangh has focused only on running shakhas and character-building,” he stressed.
Calling vyakti nirman the right path for sustainable social change, Bhagwat said it has been the collective experience of swayamsevaks.
Highlighting India’s diversity of languages, faiths, lifestyles and traditions, he said this pluralism must be treated as a strength. “All communities, including those who adopted foreign religions, are part of the larger Indian identity,” he said, urging harmony, mutual respect, and the rejection of violence.
Criticising hooliganism and attempts to create communal discord, Bhagwat said law enforcement agencies must act without bias. He also called on society, particularly the youth, to remain vigilant and organised, and to intervene when necessary to safeguard peace and harmony.
