‘India Should Be Vishwaguru, Not Mahashakti’: Mohan Bhagwat’s Message From Toronto
Toronto: India should not measure its rise only by military strength or economic power, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said in Toronto, arguing that the country’s real strength lies in its values, culture and tradition of helping others.
Speaking at the “Hindu Vishwa Bandhu Embrace the World in Friendship” programme in Toronto, Bhagwat said India should aspire to be a “Vishwaguru” (world teacher) rather than a “Mahashakti” (superpower). He said India’s influence should come from the way it treats people and contributes to the world, rather than from its ability to exercise power over others.
Bhagwat pointed to India’s long history of offering shelter to people facing persecution and conflict. He recalled how the Maharaja of Jamnagar gave refuge to Polish children and families during the Second World War after they had fled the devastation in Europe.
For Bhagwat, such examples represent the kind of role India should play internationally.
He also referred to India’s recent evacuation efforts during a conflict in the Middle East. According to Bhagwat, Indian military aircraft brought back Indians as well as citizens of seven other countries who were caught in the crisis.
The RSS chief said these examples showed that India’s strength need not be defined only in terms of weapons, wealth or geopolitical influence. Instead, he stressed the idea of India helping others when they are in trouble.
Bhagwat also spoke about “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, the ancient Indian idea that the entire world is one family. He said India’s civilisational outlook has traditionally accepted differences in language, customs, worship and ways of life.
He further argued that the word “Hindu” should be understood in a broader civilisational sense and not simply as a reference to a particular method of worship.
His remarks come as the RSS continues to expand its outreach among the Indian diaspora overseas. Bhagwat has been visiting countries in North America as part of programmes focused on Indian culture, Hindu thought and the organisation’s wider social message.
The speech also comes at a time when India’s growing economic and strategic influence has led to increasing discussion about its emergence as a global power.
Bhagwat’s message in Toronto offered a different way of looking at that rise India’s ambition, he suggested, should not be to become the most powerful country, but to become a country whose values and actions can inspire others.
ALSO READ: ‘Don’t Insult India’: Kiren Rijiju’s Strong Warning After Tricolour Row At New York Protest