By_shalini oroan
In a wide-ranging address marking the RSS’s centenary year, Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat delineated India’s strategic challenges, pointing to international reactions after the Pahalgam attack as a litmus test for global friendships and warning against the “anarchy” of violent uprisings in the neighbourhood.
NAGPUR: In a significant speech that blended strategic assertion with a call for national vigilance, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat stated on Thursday that the diplomatic stances taken by various countries following the Pahalgam terror attack served to clearly “reveal which of them are our friends, and to what extent.”
The remark, delivered during the RSS’s annual Vijaya Dashami rally at the organisation’s headquarters in Reshimbagh, is being viewed as a pointed reference to nations like China, Turkey, and Azerbaijan, which have consistently supported Pakistan in international forums like the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) following India’s retaliatory Operation Sindoor.
The event held special significance this year, commemorating the centenary of the RSS, which was founded on Dussehra in 1925 by Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar.
A Firm Rebuttal and a Strategic Lesson
Addressing a gathering of thousands of Swayamsevaks, Bhagwat framed national security as an area requiring unwavering focus. “Even though we maintain friendly relations with other countries, and we will continue to do so, when it comes to our security, we need to be more careful, more watchful and stronger,” he asserted.
He then homed in on the Pahalgam incident, where terrorists selectively targeted and killed 26 individuals based on their religion. “This caused immense pain and anger in the country,” Bhagwat recounted. “Our government made complete preparations and gave a firm rebuttal. In the aftermath, the leadership’s resolve, the valour of our armed forces and the unity of society were evident.”
It was in the diplomatic fallout of this military response, however, that Bhagwat identified a crucial strategic takeaway. “After the Pahalgam attack, the positions taken by various countries also revealed which of them are our friends, and to what extent,” he stated, underscoring a perception that India’s firm action had forced nations to show their true colours on the global stage.
The Sarsanghchalak expressed confidence that extremist elements within India were being effectively contained. “They have faced action from the government, while society too distanced itself after recognising their ‘hollowness’. They will be controlled. A major hurdle has now been removed in that area,” he said, without specifying any particular group.
Neighbourhood Unrest: A “Concern” and a Warning
Expanding his purview to India’s immediate neighbourhood, Bhagwat voiced deep concern over the recent wave of political turmoil, specifically referencing the Gen-Z led protests that triggered a regime change in Nepal.
“Neighbourhood unrest is not a good sign,” he cautioned, drawing a direct line from the events in Kathmandu to similar upheavals in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. “The regime change in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and, more recently, Nepal due to a violent outburst of public anger is a concern for us.”
In a clear admonition against revolutionary violence, the RSS chief argued that such paths lead only to chaos. “Violent uprising doesn’t lead to anything. They only lead to anarchy,” he stated, offering a perspective that aligns with the organisation’s emphasis on order and organic societal evolution.
He further warned that internal unrest creates a dangerous vacuum that external powers are eager to fill. “The forces wanting to create such disturbances in Bharat are active inside as well as outside our country… Unrest gives opportunity to foreign powers to meddle,” Bhagwat said, hinting at a belief that India’s adversaries could seek to exploit domestic instability.
The Path of “Swadeshi” and Self-Reliance
On the economic front, Bhagwat revisited a long-standing RSS theme: the critical importance of self-reliance. Using the recent example of punitive tariffs imposed on Indian imports by the United States under the previous administration, he illustrated the perils of dependency.
“The tariff policy implemented by the US was done keeping in mind their own interest,” Bhagwat remarked, characterizing the move as a straightforward act of national self-interest rather than a personal slight. This, he argued, should serve as a stark reminder for India to strengthen its own economic foundations.
“We need to rely on swadeshi and focus on self-reliance,” he urged, reinforcing the idea that in an unpredictable global order, a nation’s true security and prosperity are ultimately rooted in its own capacity and resources.
A Centenary of Influence
The Vijaya Dashami speech, a cornerstone of the RSS calendar, carries added weight this year as the organisation celebrates 100 years since its founding. From its origins in Nagpur, the RSS has grown to become one of the world’s largest voluntary non-governmental organisations, with its ideological worldview now profoundly influencing the ruling dispensation at the Centre.
Bhagwat’s address, therefore, is closely analysed for its insights into the broader thinking of the nationalist movement on domestic and international issues. This year’s speech painted a picture of a India that is confident in its ability to retaliate against terrorism, clear-eyed about the complexities of its international friendships, wary of instability on its borders, and convinced of the need to build an economy less vulnerable to external pressures.
As the RSS steps into its next century, the vision articulated by its leader is one of a nation standing firm, watching carefully, and building from within.