Bhagwat Sparks Debate With Claim That ‘World Will Cease to Exist Without Hindus’

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday declared India an “immortal civilisation” that has outlasted ancient empires such as Greece, Egypt, and Rome, asserting that “the world will cease to exist if Hindus cease to exist.” Speaking on the second day of his three-day visit to violence-scarred Manipur, Bhagwat told a gathering of RSS workers and local leaders that the strength of Hindu society and its cultural network has ensured Bharat’s unbroken continuity from Pre-Vedic times to the present. “We saw the rise and fall of different nations, but we are still here and will remain the same,” he said, describing India as a civilisation rather than a mere nation-state.

Bhagwat traced the geographical and cultural definition of Bharatvarsh from Manipur in the east to Afghanistan in the west, citing references in the Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Kalidasa’s literature. He emphasised that kingdoms rose and fell, invasions came and went, and periods of independence alternated with subjugation, yet the underlying unity of the land and its people endured. “Bharatvarsh has been there since ever,” he said, adding that the shared consciousness of its people has kept the civilisation intact even when political boundaries fragmented. He cautioned, however, that post-1945 global political changes and “compulsions of vote-bank politics” have recently led some leaders to question this historical unity.

During his visit, the RSS chief held closed-door meetings with tribal community leaders in Imphal, urging them to rise above ethnic divisions and strengthen social harmony. He reiterated that the Sangh “neither engages in politics nor remote-controls any organisation,” focusing instead on fostering cultural cohesion. Bhagwat stressed that unity does not require uniformity and appealed for dialogue to heal the wounds of the 18-month-long ethnic conflict between the Meitei and Kuki-Zo communities that has claimed over 260 lives and displaced tens of thousands.

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The remarks come at a sensitive juncture for Manipur, where peace remains fragile despite recent confidence-building measures between the state government and Kuki groups. Bhagwat’s assertion of Hindu civilisation as the binding force of India is likely to spark debate in the northeastern state, which has a significant Christian tribal population and where identity politics has often intersected with religious lines. His three-day visit, which concludes on Saturday, is being closely watched as the RSS seeks to expand its organisational footprint in a region long considered outside its traditional sphere of influence.

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