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Bengaluru, Nov 9 (IANS) Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said everyone is welcome in the RSS and those who consider this land as their motherland can join the RSS.
He said, “No Brahmin, Shaiva, Muslim or Christian is excluded from the Sangh. Only Hindus are allowed – and by Hindu we mean all those who consider this land their motherland. People of different sects can come into the Sangh; just keep their separateness aside.”
He made this comment while replying to a question on whether Muslims are allowed in the Sangh and how the organization wants to build confidence among the minorities. He said, “Your uniqueness is welcome. But when you come inside the shakha, you come as a son of Mother India – as a member of this Hindu society.”
Bhagwat said, “Muslims and Christians come into the shakha of Hindu society just like people from different castes. We do not look at who they are, nor do we ask about their background. We are all sons of Mother India – the Sangh looks at everyone that way.”
Speaking about outreach, he said, “Earlier, certain communities and groups like churches were kept aside or untouched. Now we have to make specific efforts to contact them – that’s what our outreach program is all about. But outreach does not mean that we are going to impose or do anything there.”
He elaborated, “The Sangh says we will do anything for anyone. Every person has to fulfill his duty and make his own progress. We enable and prepare people to do so. Even God helps those who help themselves. So don’t expect anything from the Sangh.”
He said, “But if you come to the Sangh without expecting anything from others, you can achieve your goals. That’s what we teach. Yes, there is outreach – and if other people are doing noble work, we will support them.”
On whether the Sangh would open schools for Muslims, Bhagwat said, “We do not open schools for specific communities or castes. The Sangh only focuses on its core work – man-building. Our volunteers run separate, autonomous organisations. We expect them to become self-reliant so that they do not need outside help.”
He said, “They will do everything on the same principle – ‘God helps those who help themselves. Even in Muslim areas there are Shishu Mandirs run by Vidya Bharati.”
Bhagwat said, “The outreach is purely an appeal to come and contribute. The Sangh asks people to dedicate their efforts at the feet of Bharat Mata. The Sangh gives nothing – it asks for everything.”
Responding to another question on Gen Z, artificial intelligence and modern attractions, Bhagwat said, “In the Sangh, any change is acceptable except one basic truth – that Hindustan is a Hindu nation. That will never change. Everything else can evolve.”
“Proposals are discussed and when consensus is reached, changes are implemented within a few minutes. Till then the discussions continue. This is our process and through this we have made many changes,” he said.
He said, “All kinds of people can come to the Sangh. Transgenders too – if they come to the shakha, participate in programs and respect the concept of Hindu Rashtra – they are welcome. There is no bar.”
On involving the younger generation, Bhagwat said, “If Gen Z is active on social media, we should go there and connect with them. In Dr. Hedgewar’s days, there were two generations – those who were with him and those who he nominated. Young people were attracted towards cinema and cricket. Once, Hedgewar went to a cinema hall and stood in a queue with volunteers to buy tickets – after that, everything became normal,” he recalled.
Bhagwat concluded, “If we want to reach them, we have to go where they are. If they are connected to something, we must also understand it. Don’t worry about generational change – our methodology and programs are very adaptive. We will continue to evolve with time.”
–IANS
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