Mohan Bhagwat Says RSS Is Often Misunderstood, Urges People To 'Experience It From Within'

Last Updated:June 13, 2026, 21:29 IST

Bhagwat said the programme was organised to help people understand the Sangh in a clearer way, which he said was viewed incorrectly from the outside

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat acknowledged that the organisation is the largest voluntary body in the world, but also “one of the most misunderstood".

Addressing an event held as part of the RSS centenary celebrations in Keralam’s Thiruvananthapuram, Bhagwat said the programme was organised to help people understand the Sangh in a clearer way, which he said was viewed incorrectly from the outside.

“This programme has been organised to provide an opportunity to understand an organisation that is often misunderstood. People say it is the largest voluntary organisation in the world, and at the same time, one of the most misunderstood", he said, according to PTI.

“As we entered the 100th year of our work, it was decided that we should once again reach out to people and tell them about the Sangh", the RSS chief added.

Bhagwat argued the best way to understand the RSS — the ideological parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — is to join it and observe its internal ecosystem.

“The best way to understand the RSS is to come inside, observe it from within and experience it. But for anyone to experience something, they must first be assured that it is safe to test and understand", he said.

‘Thinkers Looking Towards Bharat’

Mohan Bhagwat noted that the global thinkers are looking towards Bharat for a new path, arguing that many of the existing models have delivered benefits but have not fully resolved problems of the mankind.

“Development has brought progress, but it has also led to pollution and environmental challenges. The prevailing view often presents a choice between development and environmental protection", he said, according to PTI.

The RSS chief emphasized the need to strike a balance between development and environmental concerns.

“If you want to avoid pollution, you are told to stop development. If you want development, you are told not to worry about nature. The challenge before humanity is to find a way that can reconcile both", Bhagwat said.

‘Some Object To Being Called Hindus’

Mohan Bhagwat, the sixth Sarsanghchalak of the RSS, said: “…People from Muslim and Christian faiths sometimes meet us. We tell them that by tradition, ancestry and cultural influence, they are also part of the same civilisational heritage. Some object to being called Hindus and say they would rather be called Hindavi or Bharatiya. The meaning, however, is the same", as quoted by PTI.

Bhagwat argued that while Hindavi belongs to Hindustan, Bharatiya carries the essence of shared civilisational identity.

“Hindustan is a Hindu nation, and this sense of Hinduness connects all of us. It also has the capacity to connect everything in the world."

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