RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat calls for economic self-reliance, says India should trade on own terms, not under tariff pressure

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat (x.com/RSSorg)

• Bhagwat calls for economic policy to prioritize Indian jobs and trade on India's terms
• Evaluate foreign goods for necessity and local manufacturing capability.
• RSS chief claims Hindu-Muslim unity is flawed, says communities were never separate.

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RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday advocated for a strategic approach to India's economic policy, emphasizing that purchasing decisions should prioritize employment for Indians and that international trade must occur on the country's own terms rather than under external pressure or tariffs.

Speaking at a gathering in Mumbai, Bhagwat outlined a three-tier framework for evaluating foreign goods. The RSS chief explained that the nation must ensure all purchases contribute to domestic employment.

He categorized foreign items into three distinct groups: those the country can survive without, those India manufactures better domestically, and essential goods that can only be sourced from abroad.

For items in the third category, Bhagwat stated that procurement from foreign sources should continue, but emphasized that such transactions must be conducted according to India's own policies and terms, free from external pressure or "tariff-based" coercion.

During the same address, Bhagwat touched upon religious harmony, stating that the concept of Hindu-Muslim unity represents a flawed premise since the communities were never separate to begin with. He noted that despite India's partition along religious lines, the country embraced 'sarva dharma sambhav' — respect for all religions — because of Hindu principles.

The RSS chief clarified that his organization harbours no animosity toward any group and does not pursue power or popularity.

Bhagwat referenced various intellectual streams that emerged during the independence movement, citing reformers such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Vivekananda, and Dayananda Saraswati. However, he observed that efforts to provide clear societal direction and create an enabling environment remain incomplete to some extent.

He emphasized that the RSS does not operate reactively in response to specific incidents. Instead, the organization focuses on supporting and strengthening positive initiatives already underway across the nation.

The gathering in Mumbai was attended by leading figures from the financial world including Radhakishan Damani, Sajjan Jindal, Ajay Piramal, Ridham Desai, and Nirmal Jain.