This article covers RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks on Hindutva, religious diversity and the inclusion of Muslims at the ‘One World, One Humanity’ Faith Leaders’ Conference in New York.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat arrived in New York earlier this week as part of a three-nation global outreach tour covering the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, organised during the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s centenary year. In New York, Bhagwat attended the ‘One World, One Humanity’ Faith Leaders’ Conference, an interfaith gathering focused on dialogue, mutual respect and the idea of unity among different communities.
The conference brought together faith leaders and members of a diverse, multicultural audience. Bhagwat’s participation was part of the RSS’s wider effort to engage with communities outside India and present its understanding of Indian traditions, Hindutva and social harmony.
During his address, Bhagwat spoke about the differences between religions and the common humanity that he said exists beneath those differences. Invoking the Indian philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, he said that while religions may follow different practices and rituals, humanity remains one.
“I am not a religious scholar, nor a religious authority like you, but I am working in a society which traditionally says that religions might be different, but humanity is one. Truth is one, and humanity is a product of that truth. So humanity is one,” Bhagwat said.
He added that the same truth could be understood and described in different ways by different people. According to Bhagwat, human beings interpret the world through their own experiences and understanding, which can lead to differences in religious beliefs and practices.
Bhagwat then addressed the question of how his understanding of Hindutva relates to Muslims living in India. Recalling his 2018 lecture series in Delhi, he said several Muslim participants had questioned him about the RSS’s idea of a Hindu Rashtra and whether it meant Muslims would be driven out of the country. Bhagwat said his response at the time was clear.
“No, that is not Hindutva. If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslim in Bharat, he ceases to be a Hindu,” he said.
He further explained that, in his understanding, identifying as a Hindurequired accepting that different paths could lead to the same goal and recognising the dignity of every individual.
“If you want to call yourself Hindu, you must believe that all paths are leading to the same goal and that every human has dignity. There is no difference between human beings,” Bhagwat said.
The RSS chief also spoke about the organisation’s engagement with Muslim and Christian communities. He said dialogue and service were important parts of building relationships between communities and claimed that RSS workers did not discriminate based on religion while carrying out relief and social-service activities.
Recalling the 1996 mid-air collision between Saudia Airlines Flight 763 and Kazakhstan Airlines Flight 1907 over Haryana, Bhagwat said RSS workers were among the first to reach the crash site. He said they helped with relief efforts and arranged the last rites of those who died. “We did not think that they were Muslims,” Bhagwat said while recalling the incident, adding that such work was carried out without seeking publicity. He also suggested that perceptions about the RSS were sometimes shaped by what he called “wrong narratives”. Bhagwat said that people who engaged directly with the organisation could develop a different understanding of its work.
The remarks came against the backdrop of debate and criticism surrounding Bhagwat’s visit to the United States. Before the New York event, some civil rights and advocacy groups had opposed his appearance and criticised the RSS’s ideology. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani had also expressed opposition to the planned event, describing the organisation’s vision as exclusionary. The RSS, however, has presented Bhagwat’s international tour as an opportunity for dialogue with the Indian diaspora and other communities.
RSS Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar had described the New York gathering as an interfaith event organised around open dialogue, mutual respect and the inclusive nature of the Bharatiya ethos.
Bhagwat’s remarks at the Faith Leaders’ Conference therefore placed particular emphasis on the coexistence of religious diversity and a shared sense of humanity. His statement that a Hindu who believes Muslims should not live in Bharat “ceases to be a Hindu” became the central point of his address, as he sought to explain the RSS’s understanding of Hindutva to an international audience. The New York visit is the first leg of Bhagwat’s three-nation tour, after which he is scheduled to travel to Canada and the United Kingdom as part of the RSS’s centenary-year global outreach programme.
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