The question, which has been on many minds for a long time — “Can Muslims join the RSS?” got a detailed response on Sunday from Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Speaking at a two-day lecture series titled “100 Years of Sangh Journey: New Horizons”, Bhagwat clarified that the Sangh is open to people from all communities, including Muslims and Christians, but there is a condition.
He said that every individual can come to the Sangh as long as they see themselves as sons of Bharat Mata and commit to the broader Hindu society.
“No Brahmin is allowed in Sangh. No other caste is allowed in the Sangh. No Muslim is allowed, no Christian is allowed in the Sangha. Only Hindus are allowed. So people with different denominations, Muslims, Christians, any denomination, can come to the Sangha, but keep your separateness out. Your speciality is welcome. But when you come inside Shakha, you come as a son of Bharat Mata, a member of this Hindu society,” Bhagwat said.
He further added that people from all castes, and even those from Muslim or Christian backgrounds, participate in Shakhas, the RSS’s local branches.
“Muslims come to Shakha, Christians come to Shakha, as all other castes from the routinely called Hindu society, they also come to Shakha. But we don’t take their count, and we don’t ask who they are. We are all sons of Bharat Mata. That is how Sangha works,” he added.
He explained that the RSS’s approach is rooted in unity and inclusivity, based on the idea of a shared national identity.
Mohan Bhagwat also addressed the RSS’s legal standing, pointing out its long history: “Sangha started in 1925. Do you expect us to register with the British government? Against whom? We were banned thrice. So, the government has recognised. If we were not there, who would they ban? And each time courts resolved the ban, they dismissed the ban and made RSS a legal organisation.”
Elaborating on the RSS’s vision, Bhagwat said that the Sangh’s primary goal is to organise and empower Hindu society to build a prosperous and strong India that can guide the world towards peace and happiness through the principles of Dharma.
(with ANI inputs)
