New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday acknowledged, for the first time publicly, that there are differences between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological parent organisation, the RSS.
Bhagwat was speaking at a question-and-answer session during the RSS’ three-day lecture series titled ‘100 Years of Sangh Journey’, where he addressed a range of issues, including the Sangh’s relationship with the ruling party, the education system, language, tradition, and modernity.
Responding to a direct question about the perceived rift between the BJP and RSS, Bhagwat said, “We are having good coordination with every government, both state governments and central governments. But there are systems that have some internal contradictions. The system in general is the same, which was invented by the British so that they could rule. So, we have to have some innovations. Then, we want something to happen.”
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He added that even if the person in power is aligned with the Sangh’s ideology, they are often constrained by the limitations of governance.
“Even if the man in the chair is 100% for us, he has to do it, and knows what the hurdles are. He may or may not be able to do it. We have to give him that independence. There is no quarrel anywhere…” he said.
“…So all these things create an appearance that there is a quarrel. But there might be a struggle, but there is no quarrel, as the goal is the same, which is the good of our country….” he added.
On the question of ‘Should Indian leaders retire at the age of 75 years’, Mohan Bhagwat said, “…I never said I will retire or someone should retire. In Sangh, we are given a job, whether we want it or not. If I am 80 years old, and Sangh says go and run a ‘shakha’, I will have to do it. We do whatever the Sangh tells us to do…This is not for anyone’s retirement. We are ready to retire or work – as long as the Sangh wants us to.”
Speaking further, Bhagwat also firmly dismissed the popular notion that the RSS controls the BJP’s decisions.
“Humare yahan mat bhed ho sakta hai par mann bhed nahi hai…Does RSS decide everything? This is completely wrong. This cannot happen at all. I have been running the Sangh for many years, and they are running the government. Therefore, we can only give advice, not make a decision. If we were deciding, would it take so much time? We do not decide…” he said.
Speaking further at the event, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat also touched upon the historical roots of India’s current education system, criticising the colonial legacy. He said, “A new education system was introduced because, in the past, foreign invaders ruled over us. We were their subjects, and under their rule, they aimed to dominate this country, not develop it. They designed systems to ensure control over the nation. But now that we are independent, our goal is not just to govern, but to serve and care for our people…”
He also stressed the importance of embracing Indian traditions while accepting modern tools like the English language, “We are not English, and we don’t need to become English. But English is a language. What’s wrong with learning a language?… When I was in eighth grade, my father made me read Oliver Twist and The Prisoner of Zenda. I have studied many English novels, yet it never affected my love for Hindutva in the slightest…”
RSS Chief said, “From my experience, whatever action you take inevitably elicits a response…”
Reiterating RSS’s openness to modern advancements, Bhagwat said, “There is no opposition to technology and modernity. As human knowledge grows, new technologies emerge, and no one can stop them. They come to benefit humans, and it is up to humans how they are used. Whenever a technology emerges, it should be used for the benefit of humanity. If there are any harmful consequences, we must avoid and prevent them…”
He further advocated for reviving traditional Indian education models and said, “The 64 aspects of the Vedic era that are relevant should be taught. Gurukul education should be integrated into the mainstream, not replaced. The mainstream should be linked with Gurukul education. Our Gurukul model is similar to the education model in Finland. In Finland, which is a leading country in education, there is a separate university for training teachers. Many people come from abroad because the local population is small, so they accept students from all countries. Education up to the eighth grade is conducted in the mother tongue of the students…”
On the importance of Sanskrit, he said, “If you want to understand your tradition and know India, knowledge of the Sanskrit language is very important. It is essential. Only then can we truly understand from the original sources. We shouldn’t rely on translations, as many translations have errors. To access the original sources, learning Sanskrit is necessary…”
“We are having good coordination with every government, not only this one, but the state governments as well as the central government. But there are systems that have some internal contradictions. As I said, the system in general is the same, which was invented by the British for Bharat so that they could rule. So we have to have some innovations, otherwise it will not happen. Then we want something to happen. Even if the man in the chair is 100% for us, he has to do it and he knows what the hurdles are…” he added.
