DRAWING FROM the experience of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh over its 100-year journey, its chief Mohan Bhagwat placed communal harmony and social responsibility at the heart of his vision for India. He urged citizens to recognise their shared identity as a nation and to conduct themselves with respect, restraint, and vigilance in preserving societal unity.“Samaj, desh, sanskriti tatha rashtra ke nate hum ek hain. Yeh hamari badi pehchaan hamare liye sarvopari hai yeh humko sadaiv dhyaan mein rakhna chahiye. Uske chalte samaj mein sabka aapas ka vyavahaar sadbhavana-purn aur sanyampurn rehna chahiye. Sab ki apni-apni shraddhaen, mahapurush, tatha pooja ke sthan hote hain. Man, vachan, karm se aapas mein inki avamana na ho iska dhyaan rakhna chahiye,” Bhagwat said in his Vijayadashami address.(As a society, a country, a culture, and a nation, we are united. We must remember that this larger identity is above everything else for us. Because of this, our attitudes towards each other in society are required to be harmonious and respectful. Everyone has their own beliefs, icons and places of worship. We should be careful not to disrespect these in thought, word, or action.)Read | At Vijayadashami speech, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat stresses unity, self-reliance and cultural visionCalling for creating awareness on this, Bhagwat said, “Niyam paalan, vyavastha paalan karna va sadbhavpurvak vyavahaar karna yeh isliye apna swabhav banna chahiye. Chhoti-badi baaton par ya keval man mein sandeh hai isliye, kanoon haath mein lekar raaston par nikal aana, gundagardi, hinsa karna yeh pravritti theek nahi. Man mein pratikriya rakhkar athva kisi samuday vishesh ko uksane ke liye apna shakti pradarshan karna aisi ghatnayein yojanapoorvak karai jaati hain. Unke changul mein fasne ka parinaam, tatkaalik aur deerghkaalik, dono drishti se theek nahi hai.”(All of us should follow rules, maintain order, and demonstrate harmonious behaviour. Taking the law into one’s hands and coming out on the streets or engaging in hooliganism and violence, on a small matter or merely out of suspicion — this tendency is not correct. Show of strength is deliberately done to provoke a particular community. The consequences of falling into their trap are evil, both in the short and long term.) The RSS launched its centenary year celebrations on Thursday, marking 100 years since the organisation’s founding by Dr K B Hedgewar in 1925. (Source: X/ @ramnathkovind)Bhagwat said it was necessary to curb such tendencies“In pravrittiyon ki roktham avashyak hai. Shasan-prashasan apna kaam bina pakshpaat ke tatha bina kisi dabav mein aaye, niyam ke anusar karein. Parantu samaj ki sajjan shakti va tarun peedhi ko bhi sajag va sangathit hona padega, avashyakta anusaar hastakshep bhi karna padega,” he said.Story continues below this ad(The government should operate in accordance with the law, rather than being influenced by bias or undue pressure from anyone. However, the good people of the society — Sajjan Shakti — and the younger generation also needs to be vigilant and organised, they will also have to intervene if necessary.)Framing this emphasis on unity within India’s broader cultural ethos, Bhagwat highlighted the idea of “inherent cultural unity” described by Dr B R Ambedkar, noting that diversity of language, faith, lifestyle, and caste must never become a source of division. He called for awareness and restraint in interpersonal conduct, warning against deliberate attempts to provoke communities and stressing the importance of lawful action.Read | RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat hails Operation Sindoor, says Pahalgam attack ‘revealed India’s true friends’“The most important factor in any nation’s progress is its social unity. Our country has immense diversity. Many languages, multiple religions, diverse lifestyles and a variety of cuisines due to geographic diversity, caste and sub-caste – all these diversities have existed since inception,” Bhagwat said.“Over the past thousand years, some foreign communities have also entered Bharat from outside our borders. While foreigners have left, our own brothers who accepted these religions and continue to follow them are still present in Bharat. According to Bharatiya traditions, all are welcome and accepted. We look at them as ours rather than as the ‘other’. We regard, and must regard, these diversities as specialties and understand the tendency to take pride in them. Today, there are attempts to use diversity as a pretext for deepening divisiveness. However, these distinct identities should not cause division. Despite all our distinct identities, we are all parts of a larger society,” he said.Story continues below this adThe RSS chief also addressed contemporary national and global challenges. Recalling the Pahalgam terror attack, Bhagwat said the government’s response demonstrated strong leadership, and the armed forces also demonstrated their preparedness in such times. The government responded appropriately, and during this period, “the country witnessed strong leadership, the bravery of our armed forces, and most importantly, the remarkable unity of the people”, he said.He said the episode had also shown “who our friends are in the global arena and to what extent they are willing to stand by us”.The comment, made in the backdrop of a visibly fractured global consensus on terrorism, is being read as the RSS chief’s attempt to underline that India’s diplomacy must be tempered by vigilance and realpolitik.On internal security, Bhagwat said the extremist Naxal movement has weakened due to firm government action and growing realisation of its “hollow ideology and cruelty”. He, however, struck a note of caution as he said, “Now that these obstacles have been removed, a comprehensive action plan is required to ensure justice, development, goodwill, empathy, and harmony in these regions.”Story continues below this adHis remarks are significant as security agencies too have acknowledged that while the footprint of Naxal violence has shrunk, the absence of sustained development risks undoing those gains.He also weighed in on the US tariff row, saying, “This forces us to reconsider certain policies. While the world thrives on interdependence, we must make every effort to achieve self-reliance without making dependency a compulsion.”Bhagwat also expressed concern over the political instability in India’s backyard, in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal, noting that violent outbursts cannot bring meaningful change.“The regime change in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and more recently Nepal due to violent outburst of public anger is a concern for us … Violent outbursts do not have the power to bring about the desirable change. The society can achieve such transformation only through democratic means,” he said.Story continues below this adCalling neighbours “part of our own family”, Bhagwat said, “These neighbouring countries are linked with Bharat on the basis of both culture and long-standing ties between citizens. …peace, stability, prosperity, and ensuring comfort and well-being in these countries is a necessity arising out of our natural affinity with these countries, going beyond the consideration for protection of our interests.”At the global level, he said, technology and trade have improved human life but also created social problems due to the gap between progress and human adaptation. He pointed to wars, environmental crises, weakening social bonds, and hostility in daily life as pressing issues.“All countries are facing a threat from hostile forces that believe that the complete destruction of all bonds that unite, such as culture, faith, tradition and the like, is necessary for resolving these problems. These forces will aggravate the social ills, conflict and violence affecting humanity. In Bharat too, we are experiencing all these circumstances in various ways,” Bhagwat noted, stressing that the world looks to Bharat for solutions.Bhagwat flagged the structural flaws of the current economic model, cautioning against widening inequality and exploitation.Story continues below this ad“The flaws of the prevailing economic system, such as the widening gap between rich and poor, the concentration of economic power, the strengthening of new mechanisms that enable easier exploitation by exploiters, degradation of the environment, and the rise of transactionalism and inhumanity instead of genuine interpersonal relationships, are globally exposed,” he said.He urged India to pursue development models based on its own worldview rather than blindly following global systems. He also highlighted environmental concerns, noting climate change, irregular rainfall, landslides, and glacier depletion as consequences of materialist development approaches, and called for holistic models integrating societal, spiritual, and environmental well-being.Marking the RSS centenary, Bhagwat outlined six key observations, including fostering grassroots leadership, re-establishing value-building systems in homes and schools, prioritizing social unity, preserving Hindu culture as a foundation of national cohesion, and organizing society to safeguard Dharma while contributing globally. He also called for wider adoption of the Sangh’s Panch Parivartan programme, focusing on social harmony, family values, environmental protection, selfhood, self-reliance, and civic duties, stressing that simple, everyday actions can set examples for society.Concluding his address, Bhagwat called on Indians to embrace their shared identity and cultural heritage. “Let us come together and establish the true identity of Bharat in the world. To fulfill the duty given by our forefathers—a duty the world needs today—let us unite, walk together, and proceed on our path of duty,” he said.