Bhagwat’s visit came despite demands from New Democratic Party and civil-society groups that he be denied entry to Canada. The venue was disclosed shortly before the programme amid security concerns. NEW DELHI: A day after telling a New York audience that a Hindu who wanted Muslims excluded from India could not remain a Hindu, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat Monday used his first visit to Canada to cast Hindus as builders of an “exemplary society” worldwide and India as a “vishwaguru” serving humanity, not a “mahashakti” seeking dominance.The speeches shared themes of oneness, but differed in emphasis. In New York, amid protests and criticism of RSS, Bhagwat addressed concerns about exclusion; in Toronto, he explained how Hindu society should organise and lead internationally without imposing its beliefs.“The word Hindu cannot be defined by any specific language, through any specific worship or through any living style,” he said. The dais reflected that wider outreach: former Alberta premier and federal cabinet minister Jason Kenney and Kashmir Singh Dhaliwal of the Khalsa Diwan Society joined Bhagwat, placing a senior Canadian political figure and a representative of a Sikh institution alongside the RSS chief at a gathering opposed by sections of the South Asian community.“We have to build our society in every country, all over the world, which is an exemplary society for the world,” Bhagwat said at the “Hindu Vishwa Bandhu — Embrace the World in Friendship” event. The programme in Vaughan, in the Greater Toronto Area, was organised by Canadian Hindus for Outreach, Relations and Dialogue.Presenting India’s global role as one based on service rather than power, Bhagwat said: “It became ‘vishwaguru’, not ‘mahashakti’.” Whenever help had been sought during an international crisis, he said, India had not refused. “This is the tradition. This is the DNA of Bharat.”Bhagwat said the RSS organised Hindus “exactly for this purpose — and nothing else”, describing the purpose as developing individuals who would dedicate themselves to serving humanity.The RSS chief coupled the call for organisation with a message on civic responsibility. People connected with India but settled elsewhere, he said, “have to be honest, contributing citizens of that country”. At the same time, they should take to the world an outlook in which individuals, society and the environment could progress without harming one another.Join conversationView All Comments →Share your thoughts in the commentsInsightfulAgreeDisagreeSkepticalConcerningPromisingWorth ReadingBig DevelopmentPost CommentBe respectful · TOI community guidelinesHe said this should be done through conduct rather than imposition. “We don’t force,” Bhagwat said. “We are the leaders who lead from within and lead by example.” He added: “Hindus respect all. Hindus accept all.”Going beyond the familiar expression “unity in diversity”, Bhagwat said Hindu tradition also recognised “diversities of unity”. Different identities, he argued, were expressions of an underlying oneness. “Diversity is never a problem for unity,” he said. “All the diversities are expressions of unity.”Bhagwat’s visit came despite demands from New Democratic Party and civil-society groups that he be denied entry to Canada. The venue was disclosed shortly before the programme amid security concerns.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.About the AuthorManash Pratim GohainManash Pratim Gohain is a seasoned journalist with over two decades at The Times of India, where he has built a rich body of work spanning education policy, politics, and governance. Renowned for his incisive coverage of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, accreditation reforms, and skilling initiatives, he has also reported on student politics, urban policy, and social movements. His political reportage—both reflective and news-driven—adds depth to his writing, bridging policy with public impact. Through his 2,500 articles and related outlets, he has emerged as a trusted voice in national discourse, particularly in linking education reform to broader societal change.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosBihar, Jharkhand End 25-Year Dispute, Sign Sone River Water-Sharing Agreement‘Spreading Jhooth Ki Goonj’: PM Modi Hits Out At Rahul Gandhi, Hails 7.8% GDP Growth In New VideoNepal Flood Crisis: 8,900 Army Personnel Deployed As Search For Missing People ContinuesDelhi Draft Voter Roll Out: 47.7 Lakh Electors Excluded, Claims Allowed Till September 30Akhilesh Yadav’s Big Attack On UP Govt; Divya Mittal Resignation & Meerut Custody RowIndus Waters Row: India Rejects Hague Court’s Jurisdiction, Says Treaty Suspension Will Continue’Dumped 40 KM Away In Delhi’: Teen Allegedly Gang-Raped In Empty Sleeper Bus, Two Accused ArrestedLVM3 Tech Transfer: Adani, Mahindra Among Firms Eyeing ISRO’s ‘Bahubali’ RocketPM Modi Meets Pezeshkian In Bishkek, Reiterates ‘Friendship With Iran’ Amid West Asia Conflict‘Babur’s Country Honoured Modi’: Owaisi Takes Dig At BJP, RSS As PM Gets Uzbekistan’s Top Award123Photostories7 plants that came from UK and have become invasive in IndiaBigg Boss 20 rumoured contestants: From Karan Wahi to Arishfa Khan and Mary Kom, here’s a look at the celebrities rumoured to enter the Salman Khan-hosted showBadshah-Isha Rikhi to Ali Merchant-Sara Khan: Bollywood’s shortest celebrity marriagesBigg Boss Tamil 10: From Naveen Kumar to reviewer Prashanth, rumoured male contestants of Vijay Sethupathi-hosted showFrom quitting his well-paying engineering job in Dubai to Sonalika Joshi recommending him for Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah; When Mandar Chandwadkar recalled his journey7 workplace behaviours we call ‘professionalism’ that may actually be people-pleasingHe likes you, but is he serious? 5 signs that reveal his true intentionsFrom Siva Balaji to Kalyan Padala: Where Are the Bigg Boss Telugu Winners Now?Bigg Boss Telugu through the years: A look back at all seasonsVaibhav Suryavanshi breaks all-time Duleep Trophy record as a teenager: Times the young cricketer has made history123Hot PicksNepal floodGrand Canyon floodsWeather tomorrowMumbai milk priceCNG priceGoa anti-conversion billTN milk price hikeMaharashtra SIRDelhi trafficTop TrendingMaharashtra SIRDelhi TrafficDan DriscollPakistan Hindu Temple DemolishedUS Iran WarGlenn PhillipsPascal WehrleinConnor McDavidDelhi SIRLebron James
NEW DELHI: A day after telling a New York audience that a Hindu who wanted Muslims excluded from India could not remain a Hindu, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat Monday used his first visit to Canada to cast Hindus as builders of an “exemplary society” worldwide and India as a “vishwaguru” serving humanity, not a “mahashakti” seeking dominance.The speeches shared themes of oneness, but differed in emphasis. In New York, amid protests and criticism of RSS, Bhagwat addressed concerns about exclusion; in Toronto, he explained how Hindu society should organise and lead internationally without imposing its beliefs.“The word Hindu cannot be defined by any specific language, through any specific worship or through any living style,” he said. The dais reflected that wider outreach: former Alberta premier and federal cabinet minister Jason Kenney and Kashmir Singh Dhaliwal of the Khalsa Diwan Society joined Bhagwat, placing a senior Canadian political figure and a representative of a Sikh institution alongside the RSS chief at a gathering opposed by sections of the South Asian community.“We have to build our society in every country, all over the world, which is an exemplary society for the world,” Bhagwat said at the “Hindu Vishwa Bandhu — Embrace the World in Friendship” event. The programme in Vaughan, in the Greater Toronto Area, was organised by Canadian Hindus for Outreach, Relations and Dialogue.Presenting India’s global role as one based on service rather than power, Bhagwat said: “It became ‘vishwaguru’, not ‘mahashakti’.” Whenever help had been sought during an international crisis, he said, India had not refused. “This is the tradition. This is the DNA of Bharat.”Bhagwat said the RSS organised Hindus “exactly for this purpose — and nothing else”, describing the purpose as developing individuals who would dedicate themselves to serving humanity.The RSS chief coupled the call for organisation with a message on civic responsibility. People connected with India but settled elsewhere, he said, “have to be honest, contributing citizens of that country”. At the same time, they should take to the world an outlook in which individuals, society and the environment could progress without harming one another.
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He said this should be done through conduct rather than imposition. “We don’t force,” Bhagwat said. “We are the leaders who lead from within and lead by example.” He added: “Hindus respect all. Hindus accept all.”Going beyond the familiar expression “unity in diversity”, Bhagwat said Hindu tradition also recognised “diversities of unity”. Different identities, he argued, were expressions of an underlying oneness. “Diversity is never a problem for unity,” he said. “All the diversities are expressions of unity.”Bhagwat’s visit came despite demands from New Democratic Party and civil-society groups that he be denied entry to Canada. The venue was disclosed shortly before the programme amid security concerns.
