Viewing RSS through BJP lens is a ‘huge mistake’: RSS Chief in Kolkata Lecture Series.

100 Years of RSS: What Mohan Bhagwat Said at Kolkata’s ‘RSS 100 Vyakhyan Mala’.

Shankardas Paloi | HENB | Kolkata| Dec 21, 2025:: Addressing the RSS 100 Vyakhyan Mala (lecture series) programme in Kolkata as part of the organisation’s centenary celebrations, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat said attempts to understand the Sangh through comparisons or political frameworks lead to fundamental misunderstandings.

“If you want to understand the Sangh, making comparisons will lead to misunderstandings. If you consider the Sangh to be just another service organisation, you will be mistaken,” Bhagwat said. He cautioned against viewing the RSS through the prism of electoral politics, particularly its association with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“Many people have a tendency to understand the Sangh through the lens of the BJP, which is a huge mistake,” he added.

The programme held in Science City Auditorium was attended by senior citizens, retired government officials, academicians, doctors, advocates, eminent businesspersons, artists, poets, writers, political leaders, sportspersons, social media personalities, members of various social and religious non-governmental organisations, select media representatives, and other prominent citizens from Kolkata and nearby areas.

Key highlights from Bhagwat’s address:

1. Viewing RSS through BJP lens is a ‘huge mistake’

Bhagwat said that while many people are familiar with the name RSS, few understand the nature of its work. “People know the Sangh by name, but not by its work. That work is unique, and it cannot be understood through political comparisons,” he said, adding that even observers from abroad visit RSS initiatives to study and replicate them.

2. RSS is not a paramilitary organisation; ‘we have no enemies’

Rejecting claims that the RSS is a paramilitary force, Bhagwat said its uniform often leads to misinterpretation. “Seeing our uniform and assuming we are a paramilitary organisation is incorrect. The Sangh cannot be understood merely by observation,” he said.

He added that misinformation about the RSS is spread deliberately. “The Sangh has no enemies. But as we grow, some fear their vested interests may be affected,” he said.

3. Sangh is not a competitor, reaction, or opposition

Bhagwat said the RSS does not exist to oppose or defeat anyone. “The Sangh is not a competitor to anyone. It is not a reaction or an opposition. It exists to fulfil a purpose, not to destroy,” he said.

Dismissing claims of organisational control over volunteers, he added, “We do not run our members by remote control. Our work is based on friendship, not authority.”

Kolkata Lecture Series – 100 Years of the Sangh’s Journey: ‘New Horizons’ (First Session)

4. Preparing society to make Bharat a ‘Vishwaguru’

The RSS chief said India will once again emerge as a Vishwaguru, and the Sangh’s responsibility is to prepare society for that role. “Since the time of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, efforts to awaken society have continued. We must rediscover our forgotten roots,” he said.

Bhagwat said the organisation believes India will once again assume a leading role on the global stage,  strengthening social cohesion and reconnecting with cultural roots that have been forgotten over time.

5. Call for Hindu unity in Bangladesh; India ‘only country for Hindus’

Referring to violence and persecution of minorities in Bangladesh, Bhagwat urged Hindus there to remain united. “They are a minority there, and the situation is quite difficult. Even though it’s difficult, for maximum protection, the Hindus there will have to stay united. And Hindus all over the world must help them. We must help them as much as we can, within our limits. We have to do everything we can, and we are doing it,” he said.

He described India as the “only country for Hindus” and said the government would have to take cognisance of the situation. “Some actions are visible, some are not. But something has to be done,” he said.

6. Babri-like mosque move called ‘political conspiracy’; questions Digha temple funding

Bhagwat termed the proposed construction of a Babri Masjid-like mosque in Murshidabad a “political conspiracy.”

“This is being done for votes. It will only widen the rift between Hindus and Muslims. A dispute that had ended should not be reignited,” he said.

On the West Bengal government funding a Jagannath Temple in Digha, Bhagwat remarked, “In a secular country, governments building temples is not appropriate. Temples should not be brought into politics.”

Referring to the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, where Babri Masjid once stood, the RSS chief said, “Ram Mandir was built with the permission of the Supreme Court. The Trust was told to build the temple, and no government money was used. Governments come and go, but dharma is permanent. Religious places take us to the door of God. So, we should not bring them into politics. Temples should not be built by governments.”

Kolkata Lecture Series – 100 Years of the Sangh’s Journey: ‘New Horizons’ (Second Session)

7. Live-in relationships show lack of responsibility

Criticising live-in relationships, Bhagwat said they reflect unwillingness to take responsibility. He also emphasised the family’s cultural, social, and economic role.

“Regarding the concept of live-in relationships. You’re not ready to take responsibility. This isn’t right. The family, marriage, is not just a means of physical satisfaction. It’s a unit of society. The family is where an individual learns how to live in society. People’s values come from there,” RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said.

“Our economic activity also happens through family, the country’s savings happen in families. The gold is in families. Cultural unit, economic unit, social unit is all family. You can become a sanyasi, do not marry, okay. But not doing that, and not doing this (keeping the family), that cannot happen,” he added.

8. Population policy: three children ‘ideal’, early marriage healthier

On population and family planning, Bhagwat said no rigid formula should be imposed but cited expert opinions.

“Doctors say early marriage between 19 and 25 years and having three children keeps parents and children healthy. Psychologists say it helps manage ego,” he said. He added that India has failed to manage its population strategically and called for long-term demographic planning.

“We haven’t managed the population effectively. Population is a burden, but it’s also an asset… We should make a policy based on a 50-year projection, taking into account our country’s environment, infrastructure, facilities, the status of women, their health, and the needs of the country,” he said.

9. RSS is not anti-Muslim

Addressing criticism that the RSS is anti-Muslim, Bhagwat said the organisation’s work is transparent.

“If you think we are anti-Muslim, come and see our work. If you find such things, keep your opinion; if not, change it,” he said, adding that misconceptions persist only among those unwilling to understand.

“If there is a perception that we are anti-Muslim, then, as I said, the RSS work is transparent. You can come anytime and see for yourself, and if you see anything like that happening, then you keep your views, and if you don’t see then you change your views. There is a lot to understand (about RSS), but if you don’t want to understand then no one can change your mind,” Bhagwat said.

He said that the organisation will try to dispel any false perception from the minds of the people, but anyone who is not willing to learn cannot be helped.

10. India is a Hindu Rashtra; ‘no constitutional approval needed’

Bhagwat asserted that India is inherently a Hindu nation. “The sun rises in the east; do we need constitutional approval for that? Hindustan is a Hindu nation,” he said.

The RSS chief said India is a Hindu nation by cultural and civilisational identity and does not require constitutional validation for this status. He said the country remains a Hindu nation as long as its cultural traditions and ancestral legacy continue to be honoured, adding that caste-based discrimination by birth is not part of Hindutva ideology.

He clarified that Hindutva does not endorse birth-based caste hierarchy and said constitutional amendments on terminology were irrelevant to cultural reality.

But Bhagwat did not strictly disagree with the possibility of a constitutional Hindu Rashtra in future.

“If Parliament ever decides to amend the Constitution and add that word, whether they do it or not, it’s fine. We don’t care about that word because we are Hindus, and our nation is a Hindu nation. That is the truth. The caste system based on birth is not the hallmark of Hindutva,” he added.

11. Hindu unity can change Bengal, but RSS seeks social change

Bhagwat said unity among Hindus could rapidly alter the situation in West Bengal but stressed that political change is not the RSS’s mandate.

He said the Sangh’s work is centred on social transformation, and any political outcome would be a consequence of societal unity rather than organisational intent.

“If Hindu society stands united, it won’t take long to change Bengal. But thinking about political change is not my job. We are working for social change,” he said.
.__
Video Courtresy: Vishwa Samvad Kendra Bharat.