RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat addresses a book festival, in Nagpur, on November 29, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Nationalism is not an issue in India when compared to other countries, and limiting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) by calling it a nationalist organisation is a result of misplaced understanding, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Saturday (November 29, 2025).
“People call us rashtravaadi (nationalist). We don’t have disputes with anyone; we stay away from disputes. It is not part of our nature. Our nature and culture are to progress together. This is not the case with many foreign nations,” Mr. Bhagwat said, addressing a book festival at Nagpur.
The Indian idea of nation was different, he said. “Our idea of rashtra is very different from their idea of nation. They looked at how to translate rashtra into English. They said it’s a nation, and called it nationalism. We don’t even know our words now — we know their words,” he said.
“Nationalism is not an issue in India; our rashtra has always been there. We believe in the concept of nationality, not nationalism. We even believe the concept of nationhood, rashtravaad, can happen,” Mr. Bhagwat said.
“When we say rashtravaad, then that gets connected to the Western idea of nationalism which resulted in two World Wars. The ego of the nation is the reason. But our rashtra is not compatible with egos. It has come into existence after the dissolution of egos….people considered themselves one,” he said.
The Nagpur Book Festival is being held from November 22 to 30 at the Reshimbagh Ground in Nagpur. The event, with over 300 stalls, celebrates literature and learning.
Published – November 29, 2025 08:23 pm IST
