Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday, 26 July called for social inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals, asserting that they are human beings with the right to live and must not be pushed to the margins of society. Speaking at an event in Hyderabad, Bhagwat drew on Indian tradition and classical texts to argue that such communities have always had a recognised, if quiet, place in the country's social fabric.

Key Remarks by Bhagwat

Bhagwat distinguished between what he described as innate and acquired tendencies within the LGBTQ+ spectrum. 'Some are innate, determined by nature itself; neither we nor they can do anything about it — that is simply how they were born,' he said. He added that acquired tendencies also exist and that neither category is new to Indian society.

Calling for empathy over ostracism, he said: 'They are also human beings and have the right to live. They should not be isolated from society. In the broader social order, there is a place for them as well. Do not look down upon them.'

Bhagwat's Reference to Indian Tradition

The RSS chief invoked the example of Shikhandi from the Mahabharata — a figure of ambiguous gender who fought alongside celebrated warriors — to illustrate that Indian civilisation had historically accommodated gender diversity. He noted that such communities today have their own deities, places of worship, and even Mahamandaleshwars who participate in the Kumbh Mela.

'Rather than making unnecessary noise or fanfare about these matters, we handled them quietly to ensure society maintained a sympathetic attitude toward them,' Bhagwat said. He argued that this quiet accommodation, rather than loud contestation, was the traditional Indian approach.

Critique of Western Frameworks

Bhagwat also argued that Indians had drifted from their own traditions — a process he traced to the period around the Mahabharata era and accelerated by subsequent invasions. He said colonial influence instilled an inferiority complex that led Indians to uncritically adopt Western frameworks, including on questions of gender and sexuality.

'Based on an incomplete perspective, there is a wrong understanding that has been continuing in Western countries, due to which many problems have emerged there. We adopted that understanding from them, but since they do not have answers to these problems, we are also not finding answers,' he said.

Significance and Context

Bhagwat's remarks are notable given the RSS's historical conservatism on social issues and come at a time when LGBTQ+ rights remain a contested legal and political question in India, following the Supreme Court's 2023 refusal to legalise same-sex marriage. While the RSS chief stopped short of endorsing legal recognition, his call for dignity and non-discrimination represents a rhetorically significant shift in tone from the Sangh's public posture. Notably, Bhagwat framed inclusion through the lens of Indian civilisational values rather than rights-based discourse — a framing that sets his position apart from both progressive advocacy and outright rejection.

How these remarks translate into the RSS's organisational positions or influence policy within the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government remains to be seen.