ON TUESDAY, October 20, 2026, India celebrated Vijayadashami, the festival celebrating the victory of good over evil. Every year on this day, millions of people associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the world's largest voluntary organization, wait for the annual address of its chief, Mohan Bhagwat. Vijayadashami is also the foundation day of the RSS, and hence, the chief delivers an address every year.
This year's annual event in Nagpur marked the 101st foundation day of the organization. In his address, Bhagwat talked about the “global conspiracy” behind protests happening in India and around the world. He also said that believing that problems can only be solved through agitations is a wrong perception. There were many more topics addressed by him. In this article, we’ll look at five key highlights of his Vijayadashami speech.
Bhagwat talked about regime change in his speech and said that protests driven by hatred against a person, a group or an organization can be used by people who are eager to create instability in India. “A movement becomes a tool of politics, driven by hostility and antagonism towards an individual, a group, or an ideology, forces seeking to undermine Bharat take advantage of the situation,” he said.
He hinted at the recent protests in India against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and said that regime change would not happen in India. He also said that deepening differences of opinion can turn into hostility and create a feeling of victimhood, leading to a loss of faith in the country's systems and creating an atmosphere of discord, discontent, separation, and disorder.
He added, “It is clear that we must protect our mutual goodwill by remaining alert and safeguarding ourselves against the intellectual confusion created by such divisive tendencies. We must remain vigilant, avoid being disturbed or provoked in any way and with our aspiration and goal of seeing Bharat attain the status of Vishwaguru always firmly in our minds, continue striving in our efforts.”
On protests, his position appeared balanced. He said, “In our vast society, problems do exist. There are likely to be numerous shortcomings in the system as well. It is only natural that these may lead to agitations.” He added that such agitations should aim to improve the situation and find solutions. He further said that this applies to everyone, including protesters, the government and the administration. Everyone should avoid creating discord, and actions should be taken in accordance with the Constitution and the laws of the country.
Bhagwat also commented on a global conspiracy. According to him, a wave has come from the West that is against human order and civility. “We are hearing such news from France. We know what happened in Nepal, Bangladesh too,” he said, referring to protests in different countries and claiming that such agitations were leading to instability.
“The world is not just facing an environmental crisis but also a geo-political crisis. Economic insecurity is prevailing all across. Everything is getting destroyed due to power struggles across the globe. The world knows that India has an answer to all this,” Bhagwat said. Bhagwat and several other senior RSS functionaries travelled to Western countries and found that their societies were prosperous but struggled with materialism, individualism and environmental concerns.
He said that the root of many problems lies in an incomplete outlook on life. Bhagwat added that Indians need to learn from the rest of the world while preserving their national identity. “Along with learning from others, it is essential that we should clearly understand and embrace the distinct nature of our national identity, preserve our unity and quality, and devote ourselves to collective, organised endeavour,” he said.
In his speech, Bhagwat also called for unity and said that Vande Mataram had emerged as a symbol of unity in Bengal when the British attempted to divide it along communal lines. “When Lord Curzon sought to partition Bengal along communal lines, to drive apart Muslims from Hindus, the society firmly opposed the division of one land – one people on communal grounds. The British government was compelled to withdraw their proposal for partition. It was during that period when Vande Mataram emerged as a symbol of that very unity and patriotism,” he said.
He said, however, that the same outcome was not achieved in 1947 because people began to believe that they were separate and distinct. “Because we appear different, we must indeed be different and apart. Under the influence of communal and extremist ideologies, we too came to believe that since we appear different, we are, in reality, not one but separate from one another,” the RSS chief said.
He said that this separatist thinking, combined with a “lust for political dominance” and self-interest, led to people rejecting the unity and togetherness that had held them together. Bhagwat added that Vande Mataram, which had served as a symbol of unity then, should continue to inspire the same feeling today.
“Vande Mataram which defeated the divisive conspiracy of the division of Bengal continues to be a powerful source of the same inspiration of unity even today. It is our national song, and there should be no hesitation or objection to sing it in its entirety,” he said.
Bhagwat talked about Sanskars (values), saying that they were once transmitted from parents to children, but social media now delivers every kind of content to everyone. He said that in many countries, young people consume content without distinguishing between what is appropriate and what is not. He added that regulations on such platforms are needed. He specifically talked about OTT platforms, saying that Indian society increasingly feels the need to regulate them. He also stressed that the younger generation needs to be taught to make informed choices.
He said that the responsibility of taking Bharat towards its Vishwaguru goal would fall on the shoulders of the coming generations, and hence, they should be prepared to take it forward. He also called for a ban on drugs and narcotics and added that the RSS would work on this issue in the coming days.
Bhagwat welcomed new technologies but said that their use should be guided by human values. “Advances in science and technology help human beings lead a materially comfortable life and refine their conduct based on knowledge and reason. Therefore, new knowledge, scientific developments, and technology should be welcomed and embraced. However, it must also be remembered that technology is merely a means,” he said.
Bhagwat also addressed those targeting the Sangh directly and said that there were ongoing attempts to tarnish its image. “There are ongoing attempts to cast doubt on the goodwill of Sangh and the sincerity of its intentions by citing certain undesirable and/or unexpected incidents occurring here and there, with which the Sangh has neither any connection nor any association or support,” he said.
The RSS chief further said that the Sangh was carried forward through the dedication, service and hard work of its Swayamsevaks (volunteers) and that it sought nothing for itself. He said that the Sangh was being targeted because India's steady growth threatened certain forces that were trying to promote instability in the country. He further claimed that these forces were targeting Bharat and planning to dismantle the Sangh.
He said that the RSS was working to awaken the Hindu spirit among people and build a strong society. “Since the Hindu society’s worldview and nature are inclusive, we must understand that such efforts will only strengthen the emotional unity, goodwill, and good conduct among all of us,” he said. At the end of his address, Bhagwat said that the RSS had completed the centenary of its work and would move forward towards building an organised, hardworking and strong society.
(Edited by Harsh Pandey)
[Rh/VP/HP]
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