On the centenary Vijayadashami event of the RSS, its chief Mohan Bhagwat touched on a wide spectrum of issues — from terrorism in Kashmir and the state of India’s neighbours to economic inequality, self-reliance and environmental degradation — to lay out what he called a “vision for Bharat’s resurgence”.
In his annual Vijayadashami address in Nagpur, Bhagwat said the events of the recent past had both “strengthened our faith and hope” and clarified new challenges for the future. He underlined that the centenary year of the Sangh should mark not only celebrations but also introspection on “our duties”.
Here are the five major talking points from the RSS chief’s speech:
1. Terror attack in Pahalgam, testing friendships abroad
Referring to the April 22 cross-border terrorist attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir in which 26 tourists were killed, Bhagwat said the incident and its aftermath revealed both the resilience of Indian society and the fault lines in global solidarity.
“On 22 April, in Pahalgam, cross-border terrorists killed 26 Bharatiya civilian tourists after asking them about their Hindu faith… After careful planning, the government of Bharat gave a fitting response to this attack in the month of May. During this entire period, we witnessed heartening scenes of the firmness of the country’s leadership, the valour and war-readiness of our Armed Forces, as well as the determination and unity of our society,” he said.
He added that the episode had also shown “who our friends are in the global arena and to what extent they are willing to stand by us”.
The comment, made in the backdrop of a visibly fractured global consensus on terrorism, is being read as the RSS chief’s attempt to underline that India’s diplomacy must be tempered by vigilance and realpolitik.
2. ‘Naxal movement largely brought under control’
On the internal security front, Bhagwat struck a note of cautious optimism, declaring that Left-Wing Extremism had been weakened but underlining the need for development to prevent its resurgence.
“The extremist Naxalist movement has been largely brought under control due to the firm actions of the government and the realisation among people about the hollowness of their ideology and cruelty,” he said, adding, “Now that these obstacles have been removed, a comprehensive action plan is required to ensure justice, development, goodwill, empathy, and harmony in these regions.”
His remarks are significant as security agencies too have acknowledged that while the footprint of Naxal violence has shrunk, the absence of sustained development risks undoing those gains.
3. Economic growth with widening inequality
Bhagwat flagged the structural flaws of the current economic model, cautioning against widening inequality and exploitation.
“The flaws of the prevailing economic system, such as the widening gap between rich and poor, the concentration of economic power, the strengthening of new mechanisms that enable easier exploitation by exploiters, degradation of the environment, and the rise of transactionalism and inhumanity instead of genuine interpersonal relationships, are globally exposed,” he said.
Pointing to the USA’s tariff policies, Bhagwat pressed for self-reliance. “There is no substitute for Swadeshi and Swavalamban.”
The emphasis ties in with the government’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat push, but his stress on inequality also comes amid rising political contestation over wealth distribution and welfare spending.
4. Ecological crisis in the Himalayas
Warning against the costs of a “materialist and consumerist” development model, the RSS chief drew attention to environmental stress in the Himalayan region.
“In Bharat too, due to the same model, irregular and unpredictable rainfall, landslides, drying up of glaciers, and other similar effects have intensified over the last 3-4 years… The occurrence of these disasters in the Himalayas should be considered as a warning bell for Bharat and other countries of South Asia,” he said.
The framing of the Himalayas as both “suraksha ki deewar aur jalsrot” (a wall of security and a water source) is in line with a growing consensus among climate scientists that the crisis in the region has transnational implications for water and food security across South Asia.
5. Neighbourhood churn and democratic path
Turning to political turmoil in South Asia, Bhagwat cautioned that violent street protests in the neighbourhood, from Nepal to Sri Lanka, may destabilise the region.
“The regime change in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and more recently Nepal due to violent outburst of public anger is a concern for us … Violent outbursts do not have the power to bring about the desirable change. The society can achieve such transformation only through democratic means,” he said.
Calling neighbours “part of our own family”, Bhagwat added, “Peace, stability, prosperity, and ensuring comfort and well-being in these countries is a necessity arising out of our natural affinity with these countries, going beyond the consideration for protection of our interests.”
The stress on democratic means comes even as several parts of India, including Ladakh, have recently seen violent protests for various reasons by young people.