Bhagwat bats for culture over politics

Mohan Bhagwat, Sarsanghchalak, RSS during the lecture on the occasion of the centenary year of RSS at Nehru Centre Auditorium in Worli on Saturday. | Pic Bhushan Koyande Mumbai: On the centenary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh its present (6 th ) Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan Madhukar Bhagwat termed the RSS as a civilizational movement dedicated to serving humanity, cultural unity and social organization rather than power, protest or politics. Addressing a centennial lecture series before a...

min read

Mohan Bhagwat, Sarsanghchalak, RSS during the lecture on the occasion of the centenary year of RSS at Nehru Centre Auditorium in Worli on Saturday. | Pic Bhushan Koyande Mumbai: On the centenary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh its present (6 th ) Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan Madhukar Bhagwat termed the RSS as a civilizational movement dedicated to serving humanity, cultural unity and social organization rather than power, protest or politics. Addressing a centennial lecture series before a packed audience, the 75-year-old said that RSS runs more than 1.3 lakhs service activities all over the country encompassing education, healthcare, disaster relief and social welfare without accepting any kind of government funding. “We sustain these activities with the personal contributions of Swayamsevaks and the co-operation of society. The RSS had decided beforehand that apart from organizing the entire society, it has no other task. That work which facilitates the completion of all other good works and fulfils all noble goals, that work is the Sangh’s mission,” Dr. Bhagwat declared. This narrow but decisive role of the RSS from its inception in 1925, and the organisational works enable the fulfilment of every other national and social objective, and its self-driven social responsibility, he added. Rubbishing the notion that RSS was born as an ‘opposition to any group of ideology’, Dr. Bhagwat pointed out that the RSS did not emerge as a reaction, a protest platform, a publicity vehicle or to bid for power, but was formed for the long-term betterment of the ‘rashtra’ with emphasis on cultural unity. The RSS was not "against anyone" and did not work as a reaction to any incident, Bhagwat said, adding that its focus was supporting and strengthening positive efforts underway in the country. The Sangh was also not a paramilitary force even though it conducts route marches, and though its volunteers wield the lathi, it should not be seen as an "akhada" (wrestling club), Bhagwat said. Nor is the RSS involved in politics though some individuals with the Sangh background are active in political life, he added. He acknowledged India’s diversity in languages, food habits, religious practices, deities, rituals and regional differences, but said all these co-exist within a shared cultural framework. “There is one identity that unites us all and we call it a Hindu. It’s a broader cultural and civilisational term and not religious…, Bharat is not just a geographical entity, but represents a cultural attitude.” reiterated Dr. Bhagwat. The Sarsanghchalak also referred to the prevailing interpretation of ‘secularism’ (‘Dharma-nirpekshata’) and said it implies ‘indifference to religion’ which does not represent the country’s civilizational reality. Instead, Dr. Bhagwat suggested ‘Panth-nirpekshata’ or equal respect for all faiths as a more accurate expression in the Indian context, as “Bharat is a nation rooted in dharma representing ethical duty, social harmony and moral order rather than religious dogma”. The RSS chief emphasised how national strength flows from social cohesion and not coercion as real unity cannot be imposed by law or force, but must arise out of mutual respect, shared values and collective discipline, with service being the most effective tool bridging society and ideology. Referring to RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, Bhagwat described the difficult circumstances of his childhood including the death of both his parents due to the plague at age 13 and the financial hardship he suffered subsequently. Hedgewar actively participated in various movements during the freedom struggle, including the Vande Mataram agitation in his school days, Bhagwat said. When he cleared the matriculation examination with a first class, some people in Nagpur raised funds to send him to Calcutta (Kolkata) for medical education, where he came in contact with revolutionary groups, Bhagwat said. Recalling an anecdote from that period, Bhagwat said Hedgewar operated under the code name "Koken", inspired by the name of a person called Kokenchandra. Once a police team which had arrived to arrest Kokenchandra instead detained Hedgewar, an incident documented in a book by Rash Behari Bose, he said. Bollywood bows for #RSS100 Bollywood mega-star Salman Khan, along with film-maker Subhash Ghai, writer-poet Prashoon Joshi, singer Adnan Sami and actress Ashwini Bhave were among the dignitaries who attended the centenary celebrations of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). They attentively listened to RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan M. Bhagwat as he enlightened the organisation’s 100 year long journey, its ethos, mottos and service to the nation without hankering for political power, at the Nehru Centre. As Khan arrived, there was quite a flutter with many people whipping out their mobiles to click photos or videos, but he was quickly whisked in by the security personnel.

India bears the brunt: Nifty crashes 1,100, Sensex nosedives 3,900 points after US trade shock

Correspondent
Apr 7, 2025
2 min read

India woke up to a financial jolt this morning as its equity markets suffered their steepest fall in nearly a year, shaken by the ripple effects of US President Donald Trump’s aggressive new tariff regime. The Sensex plunged over 3,900 points at opening bell, while the Nifty tumbled more than 1,100 points, dragging Indian stocks to a 10-month low.

This sharp decline follows a global equity rout triggered by Trump's protectionist measures, which have sent panic waves across Asia and raised the spectre of a global recession. Investors dumped shares in a massive sell-off, with Indian benchmarks reacting sharply in early trade. The Sensex dropped to 71,425.01 — down 3,939.68 points — while Nifty slipped to 21,743.65, marking a 3.5% slide from the last session.

Adding to the pressure, the Indian rupee depreciated 30 paise to open at 85.74 against the US dollar.

India Among the Hardest Hit

Trump’s latest tariff hike — framed as a push to restore fairness to global trade — has imposed country-specific duties that go as high as 50%. India has been slapped with a 26% tariff, while a 10% baseline duty applies to all nations. This has set alarm bells ringing among Indian exporters and traders already struggling with global demand volatility.

President Trump, unfazed by the financial carnage, likened the move to a bitter but necessary cure. “Sometimes you need the medicine to fix something,” he told reporters earlier today.

Analysts Urge Economic Safeguards

Market experts believe that India's current market turmoil isn't rooted in domestic issues but is rather a consequence of being tightly woven into global investment flows.

“India will face the heat, not due to domestic reasons, but as an interlinked chain in the global portfolio flows,” said Ajay Bagga, a noted market expert. “India will need a fiscal, monetary, and reform package to protect the domestic economy from this global economic winter that is threatening to settle in.”

Sunil Gurjar, SEBI-registered research analyst, warned that the Nifty50 index has breached its first support level and is approaching the next. "A further breakdown could worsen the trend and accelerate the fall," he cautioned.

Asian Markets Bleed

The tremors from Trump's announcement were first felt in Asia, with key markets suffering steep losses. China's stock markets fell over 4% amid retaliatory tariffs of 34% against the US. Hong Kong's Hang Seng nosedived more than 10%, while Japan’s Nikkei index fell 6.5% after plunging 8% earlier in the day. Taiwan saw a near-10% collapse, and Singapore dropped over 8%.

Wall Street Braces for Impact

US markets, though yet to open, appear set for a rough start. Futures contracts on the New York Stock Exchange are sharply down, suggesting heavy losses once trading resumes.

Market sentiment globally has turned bearish, with fears of a looming recession taking hold. Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management described the scene as “free-fall mode,” noting, “Trump’s team isn’t blinking. The tariffs are being treated as a victory lap, not a bargaining chip.”