RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat Calls For Swadeshi Production Amid US Tariff Impact, Hails India’s Diverse Tradition

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday delivered his Vijayadashami address from the Sangh’s headquarters in Nagpur. The RSS chief addressed the issue of the tariffs imposed by the United States on India and said that dependence on imports should not become a compulsion, and there is no alternative to 'Swadeshi' or indigenous production.

He urged everyone to adopt an indigenous and self-reliant approach while also maintaining  diplomatic and economic relations with the world. 

"The new tariff policy implemented by the US was done keeping in mind their interest. But everyone is affected by them... The world functions with dependence on each other... No country can survive in isolation. This dependence must not turn into compulsion... We need to rely on swadeshi and focus on self-reliance, yet strive to maintain diplomatic relations with all our friendly nations, which will be with our wish and without compulsion," he said.

Bhagwat also touched upon the recent regime changes in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. "The regime change in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and, more recently, Nepal due to a violent outburst of public anger is a concern for us. The forces wanting to create such disturbances in Bharat are active inside as well as outside our country," he said.

"Violent uprising doesn't lead to anything. They only lead to anarchy. Unrest gives opportunity to foreign powers to meddle,” he added. 

The RSS chief stated that the “us” vs “them” mentality is not acceptable and said that diversity is India's tradition and that we must embrace our differences.

He also praised the Mahakumbh Mela held in Prayagraj earlier this year. 'The Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj has set a new world record, attracting unprecedented numbers of pilgrims from across India and surpassing all benchmarks for management excellence...inspired a wave of faith and unity across the nation,' he said. 

Referring to the Pahalgam attack, Bhagwat praised the government and the Army for their decisive response and highlighted the incident and also revealed the country’s true friends on the global stage. 

Prior to the address, Bhagwat performed ‘Shastra Puja’ on the occasion of the organisation’s Vijayadashami Utsav in Nagpur. This year’s Vijayadashmi event of the RSS will also mark the centenary celebrations of the Sangh.

Former President Ram Nath Kovind, the chief guest of the programme, Union minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis were also present.