Hindus don't live to oppose but we should learn to protect ourselves: RSS Sarasanghachalak Mohan Bhagwat at the #WorldHinduCongress

Chicago, September 8: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sarasanghachalak Mohan Bhagwat on Friday called upon Hindu community to unite and work for the betterment of the mankind after inaugurating the Second #WorldHinduCongress2018 in Chicago along with Acharya Dr Lokesh Muniji, Swami Swarupanandaji, Swami Purnatmanandaji and others. Mohan Bhagwat also unveiled the statue of Swami Vivekananda at Chicago.

He said it was time for Hindus of the world to start working together, despite their differences, not just to excel in different fields but also to protect themselves from those wanted to harm the Hindu society. Making a strong pitch for consolidation of all Hindus, the RSS Sarasanghachalak said it was unfortunate that though the Hindu society had the maximum number of meritorious people many sectors, it has always been difficult to consolidate the Hindus.

“Right from the beginning, coming together of Hindus itself was a difficult task. Earlier, when our swayamsevaks would try to organise people, they would say ‘a lion never walks in a group,’ but even that lion or a royal Bengal tiger who is the king of the jungle when he is walking alone, wild dogs together can invade and destroy him,” he added.

Mohan Bhagwat, on the occasion, also highlighted that Hindus do not live to oppose. “But there are people who might oppose us. We need to have all the apparatus, data etc so that without harming them we can see that they do not harm us. We have to be equipped in every aspect of life. We have to think of politics and economics, everything,” he added.

He said, “To do this together, we don’t have to merge with each other. We have to learn to do this together, separately,” he said, adding, “If you have the highest speed among all, it is your duty to wait for the last person and the person with the lowest speed should try to match with your level. For the Hindus to prosper the Hindu society has to prosper.”

Emphasizing on unity, Mohan Bhagwat said, “It was time the Hindu society showcased its oneness to the world and went back to its ancient wisdom and values.” Taking examples from the Mahabharata, Bhagwat added that absence and over influence of ego should be avoided. “Of all main characters, Krishna never contradicted Yudhisthir and Yudhisthir never disobeyed Krishna because it is important to work unitedly, keep you ego aside,” Bhagwat noted.

He also said apart from patience, the Hindu community should imbibe the ancient values of Buddhi(intellect), Shakti(strength) and parakram(valour) to reach its potential. “Also there has to be strategy in what we do. When Krishna and Balaram left Mathura during a tough battle with Jarasandha, it was strategy, a science of retreat that brought better gains later,” Bhagwat added.

While concluding, Bhagwat said, “There should be oneness in all of us. Some governments, some leaders won’t suffice, we have to work as a society for Hindus to prosper. For this, we have to know about the problems that the Hindu society is facing. Often, many of us don’t even know that. That is why the world scenario can get frightening.”

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Sarakaryavaah Dattatreya Hosabale introduced and moderated the first grand panel discussion on "Collective efforts for Hindu resurgence". Addressing on the occasion, he said, "It has been said that 'the sun never sets on the British Empire.' Now we can truly say the sun never sets on the hindu diaspora".

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his message to the 2nd World Hindu Congress said that various aspects of Hindu philosophy can help find the solution to several problems that plague the world today.

More than 2,500 delegates from 80 countries are participating in the three-day World Hindu Congress (WHC) in Chicago from September 7 to 9, which is centred around the theme Sumantrite Suvikrante or Think Collectively, Achieve Valiantly. Importantly, the second World Hindu Congress marks the commemoration of the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s historic speech at the Parliament of the World's Religions in 1893 in Chicago.

In addition to RSS Sarasanghachalak Mohan Bhagwat and Sarakaryavaah Dattatreya Hosabale, other prominent speakers at the conference were Dalai Lama, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Ashwin Adhin (Vice President of Suriname), actor Anupam Kher, former vice chairman of NITI Aayog Arvind Panagariya, Mahindra group president Dilip Sundram, Daniel Bryant from Walmart, Rajesh Sundaram from Federal Express, and Ed Monser from Emerson Electric.