RSS chief Bhagwat tells Indian diaspora in US: Be loyal to your karma bhumi
Synopsis
At Madison Square Garden, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat told Indian-Americans to put their duties to the US first — and that India neither demands nor expects anything more than that its diaspora live by the values it taught them. It is a notably civic, non-nationalist framing from the head of India’s largest cultural organisation.
Key Takeaways
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat addressed the Universal Oneness Celebration at Madison Square Garden, New York on 30 August .
He urged the Indian diaspora to be fully loyal to the United States as their karma bhumi (land of action), placing those duties above any obligation to India.
Bhagwat said contributing to India was permitted but not obligatory for diaspora members, only after US responsibilities were met.
His address covered pluralism , unity in diversity, human responsibility, and sustainable living before a multi-faith, multi-cultural audience.
He challenged the primacy of material success: “How much we earn is not important.
How much we distribute is important.” The RSS , founded in Nagpur in 1925 , completed its centenary in 2025 ; Bhagwat has led the organisation since 2009 .
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on 30 August urged the Indian diaspora in the United States to remain fully loyal to their adopted country and honour their obligations there, while continuing to live by the civilisational values that India had instilled in them. He was speaking at the Universal Oneness Celebration held at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Key Message: Duty to Karma Bhumi First
Bhagwat was unambiguous in placing the diaspora's responsibilities to the US above any obligation to India. “We are in America. We live in America. We earn in America. So we are America. And we should behave true to America,” he said. He added that while diaspora members were free to contribute to India after meeting their duties in their adopted country, no such contribution was obligatory. “Your Janmabhoomi expects you to live the values it has imparted on you,” he said.
Pluralism, Unity and Human Responsibility
Bhagwat drew a parallel between two defining ideas — pluralism as a cornerstone of American identity, and unity in diversity as intrinsic to India’s civilisational DNA. “For Bharat, this unity and this diversity both are in their DNA,” he said. He argued that nations are more than territorial units: “Every nation has a message to deliver. Every nation has a mission to accomplish. Every nation has a destiny to fulfil.” India’s particular mission, he said, was to help the world recognise an underlying oneness beneath its many differences.
Beyond Material Success
A significant portion of Bhagwat’s address challenged the idea that economic achievement alone defines a life well lived. “How much we earn is not important. How much we distribute is important,” he said, urging the audience to consider whether career meant only money and material comfort. He called for a way of life grounded in mutual care and environmental responsibility. “I live and not merely let live. Make others live. That is the message,” he said.
About Bhagwat and the RSS
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was founded in Nagpur in 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar and marked its centenary in 2025. Bhagwat, a veterinary science graduate who became a full-time RSS pracharak in 1975, was appointed the organisation’s sixth Sarsanghchalak in 2009. His New York address, delivered to a gathering spanning multiple faiths, cultures and professions, is among his most prominent overseas appearances.
The speech signals a deliberate outreach to the Indian-American community at a time when that demographic carries growing political and economic weight in the US, with Bhagwat’s framing carefully avoiding any suggestion that diaspora loyalty to India should supersede civic obligations in America.
Point of View
He pre-empts the dual-loyalty charge that has long shadowed diaspora communities in Western democracies. Yet the subtext is equally deliberate: the RSS is consolidating its relationship with a diaspora that wields outsized influence in American politics and philanthropy. The speech says nothing new doctrinally, but its venue — Madison Square Garden, the same stage used by Prime Minister Modi in 2014 — is a statement of organisational ambition. What mainstream coverage tends to miss is that the ‘karma bhumi first’ message is also a quiet rebuttal to critics who accuse the RSS of encouraging foreign nationals to prioritise India’s political interests abroad.
NationPress
30 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat say to the Indian diaspora in the US?
Bhagwat told the Indian diaspora at Madison Square Garden on 30 August that their primary duty was to the United States — their karma bhumi — and that they should be fully loyal to the country where they live and work. He said contributing to India was permitted after those duties were met, but was not obligatory.
Where did Bhagwat deliver his address to the Indian diaspora?
Bhagwat spoke at the Universal Oneness Celebration held at Madison Square Garden in New York. The gathering brought together people from different faiths, cultures and professions.
What is the difference between karma bhumi and janmabhoomi as Bhagwat used the terms?
Bhagwat used karma bhumi to mean the land where one lives and works — in this case, the United States — and janmabhoomi to mean the land of birth, referring to India. He said duty to the karma bhumi takes precedence, while the janmabhoomi only expects diaspora members to live by the values it imparted.
What broader themes did Bhagwat address in his New York speech?
Beyond diaspora loyalty, Bhagwat spoke about pluralism, unity in diversity, human responsibility, and sustainable living. He argued that economic success should not be the sole measure of life and called for mutual care and environmental stewardship.
Who is Mohan Bhagwat and what is the RSS?
Mohan Bhagwat is the sixth Sarsanghchalak (chief) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a position he has held since 2009. The RSS is India’s largest cultural organisation, founded in Nagpur in 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar; it completed its centenary in 2025.
