World leaders listen when Modi speaks, this shows India’s rising global strength: Bhagwat

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Monday said world leaders listen closely when Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks, noting that this attention comes because India’s strength is becoming visible and the country is reclaiming its rightful place.

Speaking at an event in Pune marking 100 years of the RSS, Bhagwat said milestones like jubilees or centenaries should not be the focus. Instead, he said, the aim should be to complete the work assigned within time.

“That is what the Sangh has been doing. Though the Sangh has completed 100 years, braving challenges and weathering many storms, it is time to introspect why the task of uniting the entire society has taken so long,” he told the gathering.

He said it is generally believed that when India rises, global issues find solutions, conflicts ease, and peace prevails. Bhagwat said this idea is well recorded in history and needs to be recreated. The current world situation, he stressed, demands this from India, and that is why Sangh workers have been committed to this mission from the beginning.

Recalling the sacrifices of RSS founder Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, who established the organisation in 1925, Bhagwat said volunteers began working toward the mission in the face of adversity and uncertainty.

There was no guarantee that the work would show results, he pointed out, referring to the early years of the Sangh.

“They (Sangh volunteers) sowed the seeds of success and paved the path for transformation by dedicating their lives. Our gratitude must remain with them,” he added.

Emphasising India’s growing global stature, Bhagwat said, “Why Prime Minister (Modi) is being heard globally with rapt attention? He is being heard because India’s strength is now beginning to manifest at places where it rightfully should. And that has made the world take notice.”

Sharing an anecdote, he said someone once told him the Sangh had arrived 30 years late.

“I responded by saying we did not arrive late. Instead, you started listening to us late,” he said.

Bhagwat said when the Sangh speaks of dialogue and collective work, it speaks of the whole society.

“Our foundation lies in unity through diversity. We must walk together, and for that, Dharma is essential. In India, all philosophies originate from a single source. Because everything is interconnected and, we must move ahead in harmony,” he said.

*With PTI inputs