‘Service to needy irrespective of religion; RSS does not need propaganda’: Mohan Bhagwat

New York: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has said that knowledge alone cannot bridge religious and social divisions, stressing the need to turn values such as service, love and respect into everyday practice.

Addressing religious leaders at the ‘One World, One Humanity’ event in New York, Bhagwat said the world’s religious traditions already contain the knowledge needed for peace, unity and coexistence. The real challenge, he said, is translating that knowledge into human behaviour.

Bhagwat said people often act contrary to what they know because of personal desires and temptations. Comparing it to a person with diabetes finding reasons to eat sweets, he said intellectual understanding alone cannot bring about transformation.

“Intellectual education alone cannot change. Good habits must be inculcated,” he said.

Referring to Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Bhagwat said his experiences of following different religious paths led him to the understanding that multiple faiths can lead towards the same ultimate goal. Recognising common ground among religions, he said, can strengthen coexistence.

Bhagwat also stressed that service must go hand in hand with dialogue. He said the RSS’s service activities are aimed at helping people in need irrespective of their religion or identity.

‘We give; we do not want anything in return’

Recalling an incident involving the crash of two aircraft belonging to Arab countries near Haryana, Bhagwat said RSS volunteers assisted the victims, most of whom were Muslims. The volunteers, he said, helped with medical assistance, identification of bodies and cremation without considering the victims’ religion.

He asserted that service should have no political motive or expectation of reward.

Bhagwat said misconceptions about RSS service activities could be better understood by observing the organisation’s work from within. “We give; we do not want anything in return,” he said.

According to Bhagwat, genuine service can create a cycle in which beneficiaries themselves are inspired to help others, thereby strengthening the spirit of service across society.

He called upon religious leaders to promote service, dialogue and cooperation within their communities, saying lasting social change would be possible only when knowledge is transformed into action rather than remaining confined to words.