From nationalism to society, women and environment: Evolving themes in RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s Vijaydashmi addresses

RSS chief is covering more topics in his Vijaydashmi address

Women empowerment, society, economy, culture and environment have emerged as recurring themes in Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s annual Vijaydashmi addresses. While nationalism remains the central thread, Bhagwat, who took over as sarsanghchalak  in 2009, has steadily expanded the scope of his speeches delivered on Dussehra to include discussions around samaj (society), sanskriti (culture) and values such as ethics and morality.

Women and Matrushakti

In his recent address, Bhagwat laid special emphasis on women as symbols of strength and leadership, citing figures such as Ahilyabai Holkar as models of moral governance and resilience. References to women have become more frequent in his speeches in recent years — from 0.06 percent in 2020–21 to 0.29 percent between 2022–24, reflecting the Sangh’s renewed focus on Matrushakti, which loosely translates to mother power or divine feminine power.

Rising environmental focus

Environmental issues, once peripheral, now feature more prominently. Bhagwat has been increasingly warning against consumerism and unchecked industrialisation, calling for steps such as water conservation, reduced use of plastics and afforestation. Environment-related references have nearly doubled in his addresses, from 0.13 percent during 2014–18 to 0.24 percent in 2022–24.

Economy and cultural self-reliance

On the economic front, Bhagwat continues to pitch swadeshi and self-reliance, linking economic independence with cultural integrity and national security. The reference to economy in his speeches has grown from 0.30 percent in 2014–18 to 0.39 percent in 2022–24, underscoring its rising salience.

Values, culture and 'wokeism'

His discourse has also broadened to target global ideological trends. Bhagwat has criticised “wokeism” and “cultural Marxism” as threats to traditional values, saying they attempt to disrupt social cohesion by influencing education, media and intellectual discourse.

Shifting security emphasis

Security, once a large theme, has declined in prominence in his recent speeches. The share has declined from 0.37 percent prior to 2014 to 0.28 percent between 2022 and 2024.

However, one can expect it to make a come back when he delivers the speech in Nagpur on October 2 after the military confrontation between India and Pakistan in May and worsening ties between the two countries.

Longer and broader addresses

Another trend is the growing length of Bhagwat’s speeches. From an average of 3,536 words in 2012–13, they have expanded to 4,269 words during 2014–18 and nearly 4,657 words since 2019. The expansion mirrors the widening range of issues — from politics and society to environment and global geopolitics — that he now attempts to cover.

With the Sangh celebrating its centenary year, this shift suggests a conscious effort to broaden the RSS’ worldview and raise a wider array of issues shaping Indian society.