Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat told an inter‑faith gathering in New York City on Saturday, August 29, 2026, that Hindutva does not envision a Bharat without Muslims. He warned that a person who believes Muslims should have no place in the country would, by that belief, cease to be a Hindu.
Hindutva defined as inclusive, not exclusive
During the event, Bhagwat recounted a dialogue with Muslim participants who asked whether the RSS’s vision of a “Hindu Rashtra” meant that Muslims would be driven out. He replied unequivocally, “No, that is not Hindutva. If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslims in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu.” He emphasized that while India’s citizens may follow different religions, humanity remains a single, unifying force. “We live in a society where religions may be different, but humanity is one,” he said, adding that Indian tradition has historically provided shelter to people irrespective of religious identity.
Service work cited as proof of non‑discrimination
To back his claim that the RSS does not discriminate on the basis of faith, Bhagwat highlighted the organisation’s extensive service portfolio. He said roughly 1.3 lakh (130,000) service projects are currently being run by RSS volunteers with the support of broader society. He recalled a specific incident in Dadri, Haryana, where two aircraft from Muslim‑majority countries collided, resulting in the loss of all passengers. RSS volunteers were among the first responders, helping arrange funerals and assisting relatives in identifying the victims. “We don’t have the thought that they are Muslims,” Bhagwat noted, stressing that the relief effort was guided solely by the need to help, not by the victims’ religious background.
Dialogue, self‑less service and a shift in approach since 2018
Bhagwat said the RSS has intensified its engagement with minority communities, especially Muslims and Christians, after 2018. He described dialogue as “the first step, and service is another step,” indicating a two‑pronged strategy of conversation followed by tangible assistance. Invoking the spiritual teacher Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Bhagwat quoted the saint’s inclusive outlook: “As many ways, as many thoughts. All lead to one way.” He argued that the idea of humanity’s unity is embedded both in India’s traditional thought and in the Constitution.
Beyond religious outreach, Bhagwat warned that political action alone cannot drive social change. He criticized contemporary politics as a “game of self‑interest” and called for grassroots initiatives rooted in the values of “we” and “ours” rather than “me” and “mine.” “Where there is ‘me’ and ‘mine,’ there is no solution. ‘We’ and ‘ours’ is the solution,” he said, urging citizens to start transformation at the societal level.
The New York address concluded with a reaffirmation that exclusionary ideas run counter to the core of Hindutva. Bhagwat’s statements sought to position the RSS as a promoter of inclusive nationalism, anchored in service, dialogue, and a shared sense of humanity, while directly confronting any narrative that equates Hindu identity with anti‑Muslim sentiment.
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