THE three-day festival in New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhavan at which Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat explained the philosophical position of the organisation celebrating its 100th year, was an event that the nation must look at with much focus and seriousness. Though a similar event had been organised at the same venue in 2018, this event -- titled appropriately ‘New Horizons’ -- had a special importance in its centenary year as RSS has assumed a unique position in the national centre-stage for obvious and multiple reasons. Dr. Mohan Bhagwat excelled in his oration for two days and answered questions from the audience on various aspects of the RSS and its way of thinking and action. His speeches and responses to questions were mildly-worded and carefully crafted to give an impression of sober culture that is actually the signature of the organisation (no matter the politically-driven negative impression in some segments of Indian society). ‘We are not here to convince you or anybody about our thought and action. We are here only to present before you what RSS stands for.

 

If you are convinced, we will be grateful. But if you have doubts or you choose to harbour an opposite position, we recognise your right to do so,” Dr. Mohan Bhagwat said. Yet, the soft tone of the speech and the matter-of-fact presentation of the RSS positions on various issues did not leave much ground for major doubts in the minds of the audience selected after much internal deliberation. There were some critical issues raised by some in the elite audience, all right, but the answers Dr. Bhagwat offered also were indicative of the high calibre of the discourse the RSS wants to promote in the Indian polity. There were no fireworks and no sharp-tongued statements that could give rise to controversies later on. Dr. Bhagwat spoke at length on issues of national importance but did not leave any ground for anybody to assume a deliberately negative position on those.

 

Those who have heard or read Dr. Bhagwat’s speeches and answers seven years ago at a similar event would certainly recall that the exercise this time was as mature as it was then -- and as open-minded as anybody could imagine. There was no condescension and no assumption of moral high ground. What open-minded people could derive from the speeches was a sincere invitation to understand the RSS fully. ‘Come to us and try to know what we do and how we conduct our work and achieve our goals. We would never want to bend backward to convince you. We leave the choice to you,’ Dr. Bhagwat said in different ways at different times during the three days. His statements did have a persuasive manner, all right, but there was no hard advocacy. There was no table-thumping and air-punching. What was available was a smooth flow of the thought that led to the establishment of the RSS by Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925 -- after he had toyed with the idea on the strength of different ideological constructs before finally arriving at the current model (as Dr. Mohan Bhagwat explained).

 

The exercise was titled ‘New Horizon’ -- suggesting that in its 100th year of existence, the RSS is looking at the road ahead leading to new goals and missions that are in consonance with the original thought that spurred its formation. Dr. Bhagwat insisted on many occasions during the three days that organising the Hindu community did not suggest any position against other communities. He also emphasised that the Hindu or Sanatan way of thinking honoured multiplicity of faiths since it did not have one single book or one original promoter of faith. Plurality of beliefs is the core of the Hindu way of life and that does not militate against any other faith, he stressed. If this message goes across well, the three-day event will have served its purpose.