THE annual address of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat at the Vijayadashami celebrations in Nagpur was not just a customary statement, but a thought-provoking, philosophical commentary on the current socio-political situation confronting the Indian nation. Though the watchers of national affairs always take the Vijayadashami statements of the RSS chief in the most serious manner, this time they will be forced to think deeper than usual to decipher the correct meaning of the speech. The RSS chief spoke like a statesman and showed the nation the direction in which it must think and find effective answers to the complex issues daring India in the face today. Dr. Mohan Bhagwat described the current situation as having been plagued by sinister conspiracies to keep India permanently disturbed by raising non-issues. He said, in effect, that since the anti-India forces knew that they cannot defeat the country openly, they are trying to keep India disturbed all the time -- by heaping on the larger Indian society a separatist narrative. They are trying to establish that different segments of the Indian society have separate identities and therefore the larger society is divided.

 

This narrative needs to be countered, Dr. Bhagwat stated. The RSS chief also made critical and precise references to divisive movements such as Marxism and Wokeism that are geared to exploit social faultlines in the country so that the atmosphere remains loaded down with differences. The purpose of such people is to ensure that the larger Indian society stays divided on petty issues -- which needs to be countered by all elements of the Indian society to come together and defeat divisive elements, Dr Bhagwat insisted. The details of the statement showed the deep thought that has gone into formulation of the document that may be rated as one of the best-ever socio-political policy perspectives offered in recent years to the Indian society and the world. Sink the differences - Understand issues from clear vision glasses, Stand unitedly to oppose wrong narratives, Don’t fall prey to shallow propagandism, Dr. Bhagwat said highlighting the importance of thoughtful consideration of different issues.

 

Of course, most assertions of the RSS chief -- whosoever may the person be -- are always restrained statements -- shorn of cantankerousness, appealing to good sense of the larger Indian society. This year’s speech, too, was no exception. But Dr. Bhagwat made a logical attempt to dissect various issues to achieve a more simplified understanding of the complexities for the common people’s benefit. His message was clear: Identify the divisive elements among the people, isolate them, and stand unitedly as Indians unbothered by differences of caste and creed. The importance of this year’s Vijayadashami speech was that the festival ushered the RSS into its 100th year of existence.

 

This Dussehra celebration was, therefore, treated as the start of the year-long centenary celebrations that are slated to be inclusive in nature -- with a view to invite more and more people into its folds in an attempt to integrate the larger society more effectively. Dr. Bhagwat spoke in a simple Hindi -- as if a family elder was opening his mind to other members. His tone was conciliatory and content fashioned to appeal everybody beyond narrow domestic walls. True, some detractors of the RSS may still find faults with Dr. Bhagwat’s statement. But the overall message of his speech was of unity beyond petty divisions, and integrity of of the larger society in the face of serious challenges. At the start of the centenary celebrations, such a message was most awaited by the larger society.