Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat’s recent address at a Universal Oneness Celebration conference in New York was all about the spirit of moderation and inclusivity. Flanked by a rabbi, an imam and a reverend, he said diversity has to be celebrated, respected and accepted. Diversity is the rule of nature; unity is the truth behind nature, he emphasised. At an earlier event in the day, Bhagwat had said, “Any Hindu who believes Muslims should be driven out of India cannot remain a Hindu.”
The RSS leadership is not known for delivering punchlines. Yet, Bhagwat’s statement stood out for its candour, much like the point he made at a gathering in Mumbai a few weeks ago, where he said he would “trust Gen Z blindly”. Bhagwat admitted that the Sangh was keen on influencing public policy and politics, but said the work has to begin at the level of the society because that’s where the call for change has to come from.
None of this exposition was new for Bhagwat, except for the Gen Z mention; the RSS chief has been articulating a softer line on ideological matters for the last five years. One of his earliest one-liners that made analysts take notice was his advice to people to stop looking for a Shivling under every mosque. At the New York address, an anecdote on the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air aircraft collision may not have landed the way he would have expected, but that did not deflect from the fact that RSS volunteers are usually among the first responders in times of natural calamities.
Both Bhagwat and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are trying to take the edge off the perception of ideological rigidity by nuancing their public posture. But getting the entire organisation to think and react likewise is not easy. How else does one explain the Madhya Pradesh government’s decision to deny sanction to prosecute Cabinet minister Kunwar Vijay Shah despite his scurrilous remarks against Army officer Colonel Sofiya Qureshi during Operation Sindoor? By design or otherwise, Bhagwat’s trip abroad comes at a time when youth unease over lack of employment is at its peak. Its political fallout is difficult to predict, as there are many moving parts. The upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections will show which way the wind is blowing.
