3 days ago
Bhagwat Promotes Hindu-Muslim Unity and Selfless Service in New York
Mohan Bhagwat spoke at events in New York about how people should live together.
He said someone who believes Muslims should not live in Bharat cannot truly call themselves Hindu.
He said every person has dignity and that human beings are not fundamentally different.
Bhagwat also said religions may have different rituals and customs.
In his view, these different paths can lead people toward the same truth.
He criticized politics for becoming too focused on personal gain.
He encouraged people to help others without expecting rewards.
As an example, he described RSS volunteers helping after a 1996 plane collision involving mostly Muslim passengers.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani criticized the RSS, saying India should be a pluralistic and secular country.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said a Hindu cannot believe Muslims should be excluded from Bharat.
Speaking in New York, he described India and the United States as united by diversity and said all people have dignity.
Bhagwat said different religious rituals and paths can lead toward the same truth or spiritual goal.
He criticized politics as a game of self-interest and urged communities to begin selfless service locally.
He cited RSS volunteers’ assistance to victims and families after the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision.
- Who
- Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, spoke at the events; Zohran Mamdani criticized the RSS's outlook.
- What
- Bhagwat discussed Hinduism, human unity, religious diversity, selfless service and the role of society outside politics.
- Where
- New York City, including an event at Madison Square Garden.
- When
- The articles identify the events as occurring on Saturday and date the New York speech August 20, 2026; those details are inconsistent.
- Why
- Bhagwat said societal education and local action are needed to promote unity, preserve cultural heritage and prevent social divisions.
Bhagwat and RSS Position
Mamdani's Criticism
India's national identity
Bhagwat and RSS Position
Bhagwat said India's traditional outlook is the unity of humanity and that Hindutva requires dignity and belonging for all people, including Muslims.
Mamdani's Criticism
Zohran Mamdani said the India taught by his family was a pluralistic society and secular republic in which everyone belongs.
RSS and exclusion
Bhagwat and RSS Position
Bhagwat presented the RSS as a selfless service organization, citing volunteers who helped Muslim victims after the Charkhi Dadri collision.
Mamdani's Criticism
Mamdani described the RSS as a communal organization and said its associated movement promotes an exclusionary vision.
Political change
Bhagwat and RSS Position
Bhagwat said politics has become self-interested and argued that social education, public opinion and local community action should drive change.
Mamdani's Criticism
Mamdani's comments emphasized the importance of a secular and pluralistic political vision rather than the exclusionary movement he attributed to the RSS and BJP.
Key facts
- Speaker
- Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
- Events
- One World One Humanity and Universal Oneness Celebration
- Location
- New York City; the Universal Oneness Celebration was held at Madison Square Garden
- Central statement
- Bhagwat said a Hindu who believes there should be no Muslim in Bharat will not remain Hindu
- Religious view
- He said different rituals and religious paths can lead toward one truth or spiritual goal
- Historical example
- Bhagwat said RSS volunteers helped treat the injured, identify victims and arrange funeral rites after the 1996 Charkhi Dadri collision
- Global tour
- His tour includes the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom as part of RSS centenary-year activities
Quotes
Mohan Bhagwat
RSS chief speaking at the One World One Humanity event in New York
“There are many religions. And in today's world, religions are largely defined by rituals. And to fit in a religion's discipline, and to tread that path to divinity, this discipline of rituals is also necessary... But what for religion is there? It is leading us to truth.”
rediff.com
“If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslim in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu. If you want to call yourself Hindu, you must believe that all paths are leading to the same goal and that every human has dignity. There is no difference between human beings.”
rediff.com
NDTV
Zohran Mamdani
New York mayor and Indian-American Muslim politician
“The vision of India that I was taught by my family... was of a pluralistic society, of a secular republic that believed in the belonging of each and every person.”
NDTV
Sources
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