New Delhi: Can Muslims be part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh? The organisation’s chief, Mohan Bhagwat, addressed this question at a two-day lecture series titled ‘100 Years of Sangh Journey: New Horizons’ in Begaluru. He said the RSS welcomes everyone – Muslims, Christians and people of all faith – as long as they see themselves as children of Bharat Mata (Mother India) and part of what he described as the broader Hindu society. He said the Sangh’s foundation lies in unity, built on a sense of shared identity rather than caste or creed.
Replying to a question if Muslims could join the Sangh, he made a statement that turned many heads. “No Brahmin is allowed in Sangh. No other caste is allowed in the Sangh. No Muslim is allowed, no Christian is allowed in the Sangh. Only Hindus are allowed,” he said.
His statement paused the hall for a moment before he clarified further, “So people with different denominations, Muslims, Christians or any religion can come to the Sangh but keep your separateness out.”
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He went on to say that the Sangh’s doors were never built on exclusion. “Muslims come to Shakhas, Christians come to Shakhas and so do people from every caste within what is commonly called Hindu society. But we do not count them, and we do not ask who they are. We are all sons of Bharat Mata. That is how the Sangh works,” he said.
Bhagwat also touched upon the Sangh’s history, addressing questions that have followed the organisation for decades about its legal and constitutional standing. “The Sangh began in 1925. Do you expect us to have registered with the British government? Against whom?” he asked, drawing laughter from the audience.
“We were banned thrice. And that itself means the government recognised us. If we did not exist, who would they ban? Each time, the courts overturned the ban, declaring the RSS a legal organisation,” he added.
He maintained that the Sangh’s legality had never been in doubt. “Legally and factually, we are an organisation. We are not unconstitutional. We function within the Constitution. So there is no need for registration. Many things are not registered, even the Hindu religion is not,” he said.
Turning to the organisation’s long-term mission, Bhagwat said the Sangh aims to unite and strengthen the Hindu society to create a prosperous Bharat (India) that can share the wisdom of dharma (religion) with the world. “We want to unite, organise and impart qualities to the entire Hindu society so that they will create a prosperous and strong Bharat, which will impart the dharma knowledge to the world. Our mission and our vision is an organized and strong Hindu society,” he said.
Turning to questions about national symbols, he reaffirmed the Sangh’s loyalty to the Indian flag. “From its inception, the Sangh has always stood by, respected and paid tribute to the Tiranga Dhwaj (national flag). There is no question of bhagwa vis-à-vis the Tiranga (tricolour),” he said.
For Bhagwat, the Sangh’s idea of unity goes beyond membership forms or religious labels. It lives, he said, in a shared commitment to the nation and in the belief that all who call this land their motherland belong to one greater family.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
