'Wickedness of the evil forces': RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat stresses military, economic power to defend against aggressive global threats

NEW DELHI: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat reiterated the need to unify Hindu society and build Bharat into a formidable military and economic power , capable of withstanding the "wickedness of the evil forces" along all its borders.

In an interview with the RSS-affiliated weekly magazine Organiser, Bhagwat said, “There are evil forces in the world that are aggressive by nature.”

“We have no option but to be powerful, as we have been witnessing the wickedness of the evil forces on all our borders,” he added.

He further stressed: “True strength is internal. We should be able to defend ourselves. No one should be able to conquer us—not even if multiple powers come together.”

The magazine noted that this conversation took place before Operation Sindoor at the Organiser-Panchjanya office, ahead of the RSS's Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha scheduled for March 21–23.

Bhagwat reiterated, “A virtuous person is not safe just because of his virtues. Hence, virtues should be combined with strength. Mere brute power can be directionless, leading to blatant violence. Therefore, power should be combined with righteousness.”

When asked about global human rights defenders’ concern for Hindus facing oppression in neighbouring countries, Bhagwat suggested that support would only come when Hindus demonstrate strength.

“As Hindu society and Bharat are intertwined, the glory of Hindu society will bring glory to Bharat. Such a strong Hindu society can present a model for including the people of Bharat who no longer consider themselves Hindus—as they, too, were once Hindus.”

“If Hindu society in Bharat becomes strong, then automatically Hindus will gain strength globally,” he asserted.

Bhagwat acknowledged that efforts to strengthen Hindu society are underway, noting that progress is “slow but steady.”

“Slowly but surely, the situation is evolving,” he said, adding, “This time, the way anguish over atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh has been expressed is unprecedented. Even local Hindus (in Bangladesh) now say — ‘We won’t flee. We’ll stay and fight for our rights.’”