"RSS doesn’t dictate BJP, never said someone should retire at 75’’: Mohan Bhagwat

“RSS is an independent, autonomous organisation,” Bhagwat said at a question-and-answer session during the RSS’ three-day lecture series on “100 years of Sangh journey” in New Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan.

“We have good coordination with every government, not just this government. There is no quarrel anywhere,” he emphasised.

Addressing the Opposition’s criticism, Bhagwat pointed to shifting perceptions over time: “From JP Narayan to Pranab Mukherjee, people have changed their views on us. So we should never deny the possibility of change in someone’s perspective.”

The BJP’s ties with the RSS are a frequent target of Opposition attacks, with rivals alleging that the party “takes orders from the Sangh.”

The RSS is widely seen as the BJP’s ideological parent, a perception rooted in the fact that many of the BJP’s senior leaders began their political journey in the organisation.

Both the BJP and RSS have consistently rejected such claims. Reiterating that stance this evening, Bhagwat stressed that the Sangh “trusts its members,” adding that decisions, when required, are “taken collectively” through a collaborative process.

He clarified: “There might be a struggle, but no quarrel. When we talk of compromise, the struggle deepens. We know our swayamsevaks work honestly. They don’t believe in -isms.”

‘I will not retire at 75’

Amid buzz that Prime Minister Narendra Modi might step down after his 75th birthday, Bhagwat rubbished suggestions of a retirement age within the Sangh. “I never said I will retire or that someone else should retire when they turn 75… We will do what the Sangh tells us,” he said, noting that he himself turns 75 shortly before the Prime Minister.

“In the Sangh, we are swayamsevaks... we are given a job, whether we want it or not. I will continue to run the RSS even if I am 80 years old,” he declared.

Education, culture and jobs

Turning to education, Bhagwat criticised India’s colonial legacy. “The British imposed their education system on India. Indian education system went extinct,” he said, stressing that learning should foster cultural grounding rather than rote memorisation. “Education is not about cramming information,” he added.

He endorsed the National Education Policy as “a step in the right direction” and praised its emphasis on Panchakosiya education.

“Technology and modernity are not opposed to education. Education is not merely information; it is about making a person cultured,” he said.

On balancing global exposure with Indian traditions, Bhagwat noted: “We shouldn’t try to turn into British, but there is no problem in learning English. What is the problem in learning English? It’s just a language.”

He recalled being made to read Oliver Twist in school, warning against neglecting Indian writers like Premchand.

Advocating Sanskrit as essential to understanding Bharat, Bhagwat urged linking mainstream education with Gurukul traditions.

On unemployment, he cautioned: “The thought that the education’s goal is to get a job is the wrong way to go about things. Try to be a job creator rather than a job seeker.”

‘Every family should have three children’

Addressing demographic change, Bhagwat said every Indian couple should aim to have three children.

“Doctors have told me that marrying at the right age and having three children ensures both the parents and children remain healthy,” he said.

He explained: “Our country’s population recommends a birth rate of 2.1, which is fine as an average, but you can never have 0.1 of a child. In math, 2.1 becomes 2, but when it comes to births, after two, it has to be three.”

Bhagwat stressed balance: “Population can be a boon, but it can be a burden as well. Every family should have three children but not too many more than that. This is to ensure their upbringing is proper.”

Conversion and infiltration

On demographic imbalances, Bhagwat pointed to conversion as a key concern. “We are concerned about demography… One of the key causes of population imbalance is conversion, which is not a part of Indian traditions.

Christians and Muslims also say conversion is not a good thing, so it should not happen,” he said.

He also flagged infiltration as a threat. “Our DNA is the same. Even in Europe, there are many countries which have the same ancestry, but a nation has borders… You can’t keep rules and laws aside and enter a country. When people enter illegally, problems happen,” he warned.

Citizens, Bhagwat argued, also have a role: “We should employ people from our country. We have Muslims in our country too, and they need employment as well… It’s okay if people come through the legal route and get employment.”