RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s speech strikes chord with diaspora

New York: Indian-American community leaders have praised RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s message on shared humanity, grassroots leadership and the diaspora’s responsibility towards its families, cultural inheritance and the environment.

Those who heard Bhagwat speak in New York said his address explained the work of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in simple terms. They also highlighted his call for communities to build local capacity and work together despite cultural and linguistic differences.

Jagdish Sewhani, president of the American India Public Affairs Committee, described the address as a deeply memorable moment during his nearly four decades in the United States.

“Today is the most memorable day of my life,” Sewhani said. “I’ve been here for almost 40 years, and I have listened to, you name the leader, all over the world.”

Sewhani said Bhagwat spoke about Bharat, Sanatan traditions, Hindutva and the contribution that the Indian diaspora could make in the United States.

“What Bharatiya diaspora can do here, in very, very simple words, very amazing,” he said. “I just don’t have words to describe.”

Sewhani said guests attending the event had also been impressed by the substance of the address. He pointed to Bhagwat’s discussion of sustainability, family life and individual responsibility.

“These are small, small things, but it matters a lot,” he said.

Sewhani said Bhagwat also offered a clear description of the RSS for listeners who knew little about the organisation.

“He said in a simple word, RSS is a manufacturing of karyakarta, and then it is up to karyakartas to do,” he said.

Anurag Mairal, president of the Sewa Bay Area chapter and a professor at Stanford School of Medicine, said Bhagwat’s explanation of how the RSS develops volunteers particularly resonated with him.

“What he was saying was that Sangh focuses on developing people,” Mairal said. “People who are trained, who become volunteers end up doing various things.”

Mairal cited work undertaken by Sewa volunteers in areas including health inequity, education equity and food insecurity.

“They develop people and people actually do the work,” he said.

He said Bhagwat’s message about the commonality of humanity also carried significance beyond the Indian community.

“Our cultures may be different, our languages may be different, but we are one people,” Mairal said. “And unless we come together, we can’t really address many of the challenges that we see in our society.”

Mairal also highlighted the emphasis on empowering communities to address problems themselves.

“How do you build capacity locally to solve problems locally? That’s actually really, really important,” he said. “I think top down doesn’t always work.”

Rakhi Israni, vice-president of public affairs for Sewa International and an attorney from California, said the speech emphasised the need to pass cultural knowledge to younger generations.

“It’s our duty to spend time with our kids so they actually also understand the value that they have,” she said.

Narasimham Desika, a doctor and longtime RSS volunteer, said Bhagwat’s references to obligations towards family, cultural lineage and the environment were among the address’s strongest elements.

“He really emphasised the need to follow those three runas, and I’m so glad that he did that,” Desika said.

The RSS was founded in Nagpur in 1925 and is observing its centenary. Its volunteers and affiliated organisations work in fields including education, healthcare, disaster relief and community service.

Bhagwat has served as the organisation’s Sarsanghchalak since 2009. His US visit has included engagements with Indian-American community members focused on the RSS, Hindu thought, service and universal human unity.

IANS