Dr. Mohan Bhagwat ji’s speech has been dissected verily by every known and unknown columnist and TV anchor along with panellists. However, most of the analysts are focused on politics which is not the right way of looking at the speech of Chief of RSS, an organization dedicated to national renaissance.

Nobody, for instance, has mentioned Dr. Bhagwat’s tributes to great saints and leaders of India in current history. Recalling Abhinav Gupt’s contribution to Hindu syncretic thought was to underline the Hindu past of Kashmir that is being shrouded in the term Kashmiriyat, which is nothing but Islam in Kashmir made inclusive due to Hindu philosophy of ‘sarva panth samabhav’ or ‘respect for all religions’. His tribute to Acharya Ramanujacharya was again an effort at connecting Indian citizens from North to South to their great past of intellectual achievements. Sant Gulabrao Maharaj was remembered to awaken Hindus to the reformist genius of Hinduism, while remembering great Sikh Guru Gobind Singh and invoking his great poem at the end was a tribute to martial spirit of Sikhism, and Hindu tradition of evolving as per demands of time.  His message to Hindu society was to recall the past and evolve with time for renaissance of Hindu dharma and progress of the nation.

His cautionary note about reviewing the National Education Policy by academicians was a very important indicator  that he is aware of its bureaucratic approach that needs to be tempered with educationists, so it becomes a vehicle of national revival with value based education and an education that will make youth fit for the new world. He emphasised the need for education that created responsible citizens. He emphasised at people’s role in spreading education but cautioned against profiteering in the name of education. Thus, he underlined serious lacunae in this area.

Quoting surveys done by RSS swayamsevaks in Madhya Pradesh and sharing with its findings with society that nearly 30% of 9000 villages surveyed still practice discrimination, he told unequivocally that Hindus must reform and end such abominable practices. He used strong term ‘kalank’ asking people to remove this kalank. This call to common Hindu to reform within has been missed out by critics of Hindutva and RSS, yet again. For RSS renaissance of Hindu society is article of faith.

His call to swayamsevaks to work for social harmony, take cleanliness drive, yoga and environment protection by organizing people and taking along ‘sajjan shakti’ or other like-minded people along showed urge of RSS to unite all sections of society irrespective of caste, creed and faith.

Some people feel that Dr. Bhagwat toed PM Modi’s line of criticising Gau Rakshaks. On the contrary, he tried to correct critic’s projection that Gau Rakshaks were nothing but vigilantes out to wreck law and order. He insisted that Cow protection movement is a strong movement that RSS has nurtured over decades and has scientific base. He cleared that most of the Gau Rakshaks were good people working sincerely in the field but criticised a small fringe that was using it as a pretext to settling personal scores. They needed to be isolated.

By claiming occupied parts of Jammu & Kashmir RSS chief reiterated stated position of RSS since independence. He reminded the government of uncompleted task of rehabilitating refugees languishing in J&K since independence and displaced Kashmiri Hindus.  His complements to jawans and government were, naturally, expected.  RSS has been at the forefront of nurturing a strong sense of patriotism and nationalism. Its volunteers have never hesitated to put even their lives to protect motherland, be it 1947, 1962, 1965 or national calamity.

This speech, yet again projected RSS as a positive force of change that works responsibly and selflessly for national upliftment. It was great to see wide coverage it received.  It would have been great if media and critics had looked beyond Dr. Mohan Bhagwat’s praise of government and armed forces and Gau Rakshak controversy. Positive feedback from its known critics shows that they are also realizing their folly in criticising RSS blindly all these years.