RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat: Success breeds jealousy in politics
Synopsis
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat told a Nagpur audience that success in politics automatically invites jealousy — and then pivoted to reframe Partition survivors not as refugees but as 'warriors' who chose country over comfort. The remarks blend ideological positioning with a call for personal resilience rooted in the Gita.
Key Takeaways
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat addressed a Sindhu Education Society programme in Nagpur on 2 July .
Bhagwat said success in politics inevitably makes detractors jealous, and resilience is the key to overcoming adversity.
He cited Lord Krishna's message to Arjun in the Bhagavad Gita as a model for facing — not fleeing — hardship.
Bhagwat argued that Partition survivors were 'warriors' and 'displaced people', not refugees, who chose country and religion over property.
On education, he said wisdom — not vocational training — is the true goal, and that learning begins at home with the mother as the first teacher.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday, 2 July said that resilience in the face of adversity is the true foundation of success, and that in politics, another person's achievement inevitably invites envy from detractors. Bhagwat was addressing a programme organised by Sindhu Education Society in Nagpur.
On Resilience and the Spirit of Not Giving Up
Drawing on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, Bhagwat urged the audience to confront hardship rather than retreat from it. He cited Lord Krishna's counsel to Arjun as a timeless guide for navigating setbacks.
'The God has told Arjun in Gita that running away will be a disservice to you, if you fight and win then you will get wealth, if you kill then you will get such salvation which even great yogis do not get,' Bhagwat said.
He added that standing firm, even through disappointment and failure, is simply part of the human experience. 'If one door closes, then another door opens somewhere. It is just a passing phase,' he said.
On Education, Wisdom, and the Role of Mothers
Bhagwat drew a distinction between vocational learning and genuine wisdom, arguing that education aimed purely at livelihood is necessary but not sufficient. 'People grow up without education and employ educated people. Education, actually, is for gaining wisdom. It starts from home and the first teacher is the mother,' he said.
He also called on individuals to live not for themselves but for others, emphasising that integrity must be demonstrated through action rather than words. 'We should live with integrity, and we should teach the same to everyone, not by speaking, but through actions and setting an example,' Bhagwat said.
Partition Victims Were Warriors, Not Refugees: Bhagwat
The RSS chief used the trauma of India's Partition as a lens through which to illustrate collective resilience. He noted that those who were displaced left behind generations of earnings, property, and livelihoods, yet rebuilt their lives from nothing.
Bhagwat pushed back against the label of 'refugees' applied to Partition survivors. 'They were not refugees, they were definitely displaced people. The wrong word was used for them at that time,' he said.
He characterised them as people who chose country and faith over material security. 'They were warriors. They came here because of their love for their motherland and religion. They had lost a battle, we all had lost the battle to keep India united, but what did they choose? They did not choose a career, they did not choose property, they chose the country, they chose the religion,' Bhagwat said.
Key Takeaway for the Audience
Concluding his address, Bhagwat urged the gathering never to abandon hope or flee from difficulty. 'A person should accept destiny. He should try. Everything gets fine by trying. One has to wait and fight. One who fights, achieves something or the other, hence, never lose hope in life, never run away,' he said. The remarks are likely to resonate beyond the immediate audience, given the RSS chief's standing as one of India's most influential ideological voices.
Point of View
But its repetition at a public platform signals a sustained effort to reshape the cultural memory of 1947 — one that has political utility in the current climate. His conflation of personal resilience with ideological steadfastness is characteristic: the Gita is invoked not merely as scripture but as a behavioural template for public life. The jealousy-in-politics remark, while brief, lands in a specific context where the RSS and its affiliated political ecosystem face sustained opposition scrutiny. Whether intended or not, the line doubles as both life advice and a shield against criticism of success.
NationPress
2 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat say about success in politics?
Bhagwat said that in politics, someone's success automatically makes detractors jealous. He made the remark while addressing a programme by Sindhu Education Society in Nagpur on 2 July, framing jealousy as an inevitable consequence of achievement rather than a reason to be deterred.
What was Bhagwat's message from the Bhagavad Gita?
Bhagwat cited Lord Krishna's counsel to Arjun in the Gita, urging people to face adversity with resilience rather than retreat. He said fighting and persevering — even through failure — is part of life, and that one door closing always leads to another opening.
Why did Bhagwat say Partition survivors were not refugees?
Bhagwat argued that those displaced during India's Partition chose to leave their homes out of love for their motherland and religion, making them 'warriors' rather than refugees. He said the word 'refugee' was the wrong label for people who made a conscious choice of country over property and livelihood.
What did Bhagwat say about education?
Bhagwat distinguished between education for livelihood — which he called necessary but not compulsory — and education for wisdom, which he described as the true purpose of learning. He said wisdom begins at home, with the mother as the first teacher.
Where did Mohan Bhagwat deliver this speech?
Bhagwat spoke at a programme organised by Sindhu Education Society in Nagpur on Thursday, 2 July.
