RSS chief bats for inclusive society, frowns upon new disputes

RSS chief advocates for inclusive society, harmony in India, warns against temple-mosque disputes, and emphasizes living together in peace.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has expressed concern over resurgence of several temple-mosque disputes and said certain individuals, after the construction of Ayodhya Ram temple, seem to believe they can become “leaders of Hindus” by raking up such issues.

Delivering a lecture on ‘India – The Vishwaguru’, at Sahjeevan Vyakhyanmala (lecture series) in Pune on Thursday (December 19, 2024), Bhagwat advocated for an inclusive society and said the world needs to be shown that the country can live together in harmony.

Highlighting the plurality of Indian society, the chief of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) said Christmas is celebrated in Ramakrishna Mission, adding “only we can do this because we are Hindus”.

“We have been living in harmony for a long time. If we want to provide this harmony to the world, we need to create a model of it. After the construction of the Ram Mandir, some people think they can become leaders of Hindus by raking up similar issues in new places. This is not acceptable,” he said.

The Ram temple was constructed since it was a matter of faith for all Hindus, Mr. Bhagwat said.

“Every day a new matter [dispute] is being raked up. How can this be allowed? This cannot continue. India needs to show that we can live together,” he said without mentioning any particular site.

Several demands for surveys of mosques to unearth temples have found their way to courts in the recent past, though Mr. Bhagwat did not mention any by name in his lecture.