RSS Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday declared that a troubled world is turning to India for solutions, invoking the nation's civilisational heritage as he addressed the annual Vijayadashami rally at Reshimbagh ground in Nagpur. The address carried special weight as it marked the formal culmination of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)'s centenary year — the organisation was founded on Vijayadashami in 1925.

India's Global Moment

Bhagwat argued that prosperous, technologically advanced nations are grappling with environmental degradation, fracturing family structures, mismanagement of diversity, and the fallout from power struggles — and that India's ancient philosophical traditions hold the remedies. “The world knows that India holds the answers to these modern dilemmas. That is why the global community is listening attentively to what India has to say,” he stated.

He framed this not as national pride but as civilisational responsibility, urging citizens to embody and practise the values that, in his view, distinguish India's worldview from others.

Constitution, Unity, and the Emotional Bond

Bhagwat anchored his ideological argument in the Preamble to the Indian Constitution, describing it as the nation's emotional bond. “It is this very bond that has maintained the country as a single nation since ancient times, despite vast diversity. Our ancestors experienced this sense of unity; whenever we forgot it, we faced decline — so much so that we endured centuries of foreign rule,” he remarked.

He added that India's freedom was won through “intense sacrifices and struggles of numerous national icons,” and called on citizens to “continuously strengthen this emotional bond, understand it deeply, and actively practise it in our daily lives.”

Diversity as Strength, Not Fracture

Addressing India's vast cultural, regional, linguistic, and social plurality, Bhagwat outlined what he described as a non-negotiable prerequisite for national progress. “India possesses diverse geographic features, castes, languages, regions, and food habits. To move forward as one, the nation requires a foundational value system that respects every form of diversity. No other ideological framework in the world offers such an approach, but fortunately, India has inherited it through ancient traditions,” he said.

He urged citizens to reject what he called divisive ‘us vs. them’ narratives, maintain law and order, and pursue national unity and Swadeshi (self-reliance) as complementary goals.

Priorities for the Sangh's Next Century

With the RSS entering its second century of existence, Bhagwat outlined three organisational priorities: Samajik Samrasata (social harmony), Vyakti Nirman (individual character building), and collective social responsibility — asserting that societal transformation cannot be left solely to the state.

He also emphasised the youth as a demographic dividend, stressing that national strength depends on a new generation that is physically robust, mentally prepared, and grounded in discipline and character. “The present times require even greater dedication than the sacrifices made during the freedom struggle,” he said, calling for extraordinary effort from every citizen.

Significance of the Centenary Address

The 20 October 2026 Vijayadashami rally is widely regarded as the RSS's most significant annual platform — a moment when the Sarsanghchalak sets the ideological direction for the organisation and its vast network of affiliates. This year's address, coinciding with the close of the centenary year, drew particular attention from political observers and commentators across the spectrum. The themes of civilisational self-confidence, global relevance, and internal social cohesion are likely to reverberate through affiliated organisations in the months ahead.