RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday said dharma and the nation were interconnected in India, arguing that the country’s spiritual and philosophical traditions could offer perspectives on challenges confronting the world. Addressing the 14th All India Vihar Seva conference, Bhagwat said India had a role to play in addressing questions surrounding development, the environment, individual freedom, family life and faith.

“Our rashtra (nation) and dharma are not separate. The purpose of the nation is dharma, and dharma helps sustain the nation. The two are interdependent,” Bhagwat said. His remarks focused on his interpretation of the relationship between national life and dharma, which he described as extending beyond religion to a broader framework of duties and values.

Bhagwat said the world was facing several competing priorities, including the balance between economic development and environmental protection, individual liberty and family structures, and religious faith and conflict. He described these as dilemmas in which attempts to achieve one objective could create challenges elsewhere, resulting in what he characterised as a lack of balance.

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The RSS chief said India’s knowledge traditions could contribute to discussions on these global challenges. He referred to the Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata and Bhagavad Gita, as well as Jain Agamas, the Tripitaka, Guru Granth Sahib and the teachings of saints. Bhagwat also argued that India had historically shared its knowledge without seeking to conquer other countries or convert their populations.

Bhagwat said preserving the lives and traditions of people who carry these knowledge systems was therefore significant beyond the boundaries of religious practice. He said such efforts should be viewed as a form of service to humanity and linked them to the preservation of knowledge that, in his view, could contribute to the future of society.

His remarks come amid a series of recent speeches in which Bhagwat has discussed dharma, social harmony and India's civilisational traditions. In September, while addressing a youth gathering in Ujjain, he described dharma as a principle connected with conduct and duty rather than being limited to religious texts or rituals.

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