‘Bharat’s destiny is to make world realise unity in diversity’: Bhagwat at New York event

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat told an audience of around 5,000 people at New York's Madison Square Garden that India's destiny is to demonstrate unity in diversity to the world. Addressing the diverse gathering, Bhagwat invoked Swami Vivekananda and argued that India's mission was to showcase the idea of unity underlying diversity, not by preaching but by practice. He emphasized that Bharat's unity and diversity are part of its DNA and should be celebrated, respected, and accepted.

Bhagwat contrasted the "live and let live" approach with "live and let on those live who obey us," asserting that those who protect only those who obey them are considered "rakshasas" while those who care for others regardless of their obedience are the "devas". He said India's civilizational understanding is that humanity is connected through the atman, and differences in body, clothing, and worship do not alter this underlying unity.

The RSS chief also addressed the Indian diaspora, stating that their first responsibility was towards the country where they lived, which he described as their "karmabhoomi". Bhagwat urged Indians abroad to live by the values they received from India and to give back to their host countries. He highlighted humanity's relationship with nature, citing historian Yuval Noah Harari's book "Sapiens" to argue that human beings' rise to the top of the food chain has come at the cost of other species, and that we have a duty to sustain others.