'If a Hindu wants no Muslims in Bharat, he is not...': RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in New York

Addressing a major gathering in New York City, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat delivered a uncompromising message on identity, pluralism, and global citizenship, declaring that any Hindu who advocates for a nation without Muslims strays from the core tenets of Hindutva.

Speaking as part of the organization's centenary-year international outreach tour across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, Bhagwat drew a distinct line between political rhetoric and spiritual responsibility, framing civic commitment to foreign host nations as a paramount obligation for the Indian diaspora.

Reflecting on past dialogues with minority groups, Bhagwat recounted an exchange from his 2018 New Delhi lecture series, where Muslim attendees pressed him on the practical implications of a "Hindu Rashtra" and questioned whether they would be ousted from India.

“I told them, 'no, that is not Hindutva. If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslim in Bharat, he ceases to be a Hindu,'” Bhagwat stated. “If you call yourself a Hindu, you must believe that all paths lead to the same destination. Every human being has inherent dignity, there is no fundamental difference between us.”

He further emphasised that external variations are mere temporal constructs: “Those who truly know view everyone equally, whether a learned scholar or a dog. These external differences merely decorate nature. While we must navigate through them in daily life, the underlying reality remains, we are one. The illusions of division exist and may thrive for a time, but eventually they will fade, only for new illusions to take their place.”

Expanding on the responsibilities of non-resident Indians, the RSS leader underscored a clear boundary between emotional ties and national allegiance. He advised the diaspora to prioritise their host nation — their karma bhumi — over their land of origin, janma bhumi.

“What is our duty? We are in America, we live in America, we earn in America. So we are American. And we should behave true to America. The diaspora, Bharatiya diaspora, they have a duty to their karma bhumi. They must fulfil that. They should be loyal to their karma bhumi,” Bhagwat remarked, adding that contributing back to India remains optional once duties abroad are fully discharged.

“Because Bharat is their janma bhumi, if they have an urge to do something and they can do that, after fulfilling their duties to their karma bhumi, it is not prohibited. But it is not obligatory. Your janma bhumi expects you to live the values it has imparted on you. And this is the value. This is the value, oneness. We are one with human beings. We are one with nature.”

Beyond matters of community identity, Bhagwat offered a critical assessment of statecraft and governance, arguing that societal transformations cannot rely solely on executive machinery.

“These things do not happen through politics. Sorry to say, but the fact is, politics has now become a game of self-interest,” Bhagwat observed. “Where there is me, I am I. There is no solution. We and ours is the solution. So our experience in Bharat is that we have to start with the society.”

He asserted that grass-roots consensus must take precedence over political mandates, noting, “If there is public opinion, then no politician will dare to go against it.”

Distinguishing between institutional religion and broad human values, Bhagwat pointed out that modern belief systems are often bound by strict formalism, whereas true philosophy operates on universal truths.

“I am not a religious scholar, nor a religious authority like you, but I am working in a society which traditionally says that religions might be different, but humanity is one,” he explained.

“Truth is one, and humanity is a product of that truth. So humanity is one. That truth is one truth, but it is described in many ways according to the describer. Because as human beings, we are prisoners of the software that has been created in our heads.” He acknowledged the pragmatic role of outward practices, noting, “There are many religions, and in today's world, religions are largely defined by rituals. And to fit in a religious discipline, and to treat that path to divinity, this discipline of rituals is also necessary.”