Shillong: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat, while stating that there is "no particular definition of Hindu", said that the terms "Bharatiya" (Indian) and "Hindu" are synonyms, and added that it (Hindu) is a "geo-cultural identity".
Bhagwat said that India had lost its freedom in the past because of "forgetting" its "civilizational motto and values".
Addressing a public meeting in Shillong on Sunday, Bhagwat said, "We are an ancient nation since time immemorial, but due to forgetting our civilizational motto and values, we lost our freedom. Our binding force among one another is our inherent faith in our age-old values which lies in spirituality.
These values of this country's eternal civilization had been named as Hindutva by people outside our country. We are Hindus, but there is no particular definition of Hindu, although it's our identity. Both the terms Bharatiya and Hindu are synonyms. It is a geo-cultural identity in fact".
The RSS chief said that the organisation teaches to make sacrifices for the country while also giving up one's "individual selfish ends".
"In the one-hour Sangh shakhas, people learn about these benevolent values and duty to the motherland," Bhagwat said.
"The RSS draws this tradition of sacrifice from this country's ancient history.
Our ancestors had visited different lands beyond and had departed the same values to Japan, Korea, Indonesia and many other countries. We are following the same tradition even today."
Stating the instances of 'Vaccine Maitri' and India's aid to economic crisis-hit Sri Lanka, Bhagwat said that India served humanity in these instances.
"Our ancestors have done great things... We taught Mathematics, Science and Ayurveda... Even today we do the same, who helped Sri Lanka during the crisis and provided them loans. India did.
Who gave vaccines to the world in Covid? We did," he said.
The RSS chief emphasised how the Sangh for five generations with the help of workers has contributed in the national reconstruction work for years.
Bhagwat stressed on helping India proceed towards "all-round development" and said that the mission of the RSS is to make society organised for the purpose.
"Sangh is not just another organisation working for making the organisation itself strong, but the real mission is to make this society organised in order to make Bharat attain her all-round development," he said.
"Sangh's orientation is to deepen it into one's own habit by doing it on daily basis. These things are emphasised as Rashtriyata, Swayamsevakatva," the RSS chief added.
Among the audience, many educationists, leaders as well as spiritual and social representatives participated. The two-day Meghalaya visit of Bhagwat which will end today will include his meetings with different Sangh functionaries and socio-cultural leaders. (ANI)
