The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is a paramilitary organization in India which is the parent organization of all Hindutva organizations in India and beyond.

In an interview with the RSS-affiliated magazines Organiser and Panchjanya, the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that the new-found aggression among Hindus in India and elsewhere is due to the Hindu society having been at war for over 1,000 years and finally awakened with the Sangh’s support.

He claims that the Hindu society have been fighting against foreign aggressions, foreign influences and foreign conspiracies.

He also claims that the Hindu society is in the midst of yet another war, but this time it is against an enemy within. This war is to defend Hindu society and Hindu culture.

Regarding Muslims, Bhagwat said that they have nothing to fear in India, but they must abandon their claim of supremacy.

He also said that "India should remain Hindu nation" and that Islam has nothing to fear but at the same time, Muslims must abandon their rhetoric of ‘the best religion.’

He also said that "We are of an exalted race; we once ruled over this land, and shall rule it again; only our path is right, rest everyone is wrong; we are different, therefore we will continue to be so; we cannot live together, if they (Muslims) did not abandon this narrative."

His statements reflect a belief among some members of the Hindu nationalist movement in India that Hindu culture and values should be dominant in the country and that other groups, particularly Muslims, should conform to these values and give up their separate identities.

This belief has led to criticism that the RSS and its affiliates promote a narrow and exclusionary form of nationalism and are trying to impose their ideology on others.

Many political leaders, civil society groups, and individuals from different backgrounds have spoken out against discrimination and communal violence, advocating for tolerance, peace, and inclusivity.

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Source:  The Indian Express

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