HINDUTVA is clear that your "karma bhoomi" is where your loyalties lie and for British Hindus that is the UK, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Sunday, in a message of reassurance and unity to the community.
Addressing a large diaspora celebration entitled "Celebration of Oneness", attended by hundreds of community leaders, students and volunteers of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) UK in London, Bhagwat answered a series of pre-submitted questions by the audience. He was also asked to define Hindutva to clear up misconceptions associated with the term at the main public-facing event of the UK leg of his three-nation tour.
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"Actually, there is no conflict; if British Hindus are achcha pukka sacha (good, strong, true) Hindus, there will be never be a conflict between British and Bharat interests," said Bhagwat, responding to a question about the fear of divided loyalties of the Hindu community between their land of birth (janma bhoomi) and their field of duty (karma bhoomi).
"If at all that happens, it is obvious that British Hindus will go with Britain. Exception may happen, but Hindutva is clear on this – your karma bhoomi is where your loyalties lie. Your janma bhoomi, or land of your origin or your birthplace, is where you get the values by which you live in your karma bhoomi, while serving it. So, Hindutva never asks to betray your karma bhoomi," he said.
Bhagwat said the word Hindu cannot be understood on the basis of any religious practice or lifestyle.
"Hindu is a nature; society which has nature must accept and respect all diversities because it holds that all ways lead to the same goal.
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"As all the water that falls on the earth goes into the sea eventually; in a similar way, because diversity is natural, ways are bound to be different. We don't have a mechanism by which we can make us uniform. Uniformity is not necessary for unity. There is unity in diversity," he said.
Bhagwat went on to highlight the RSS as an organisation underpinned by sewa and expressed confidence in the role to be played by future generations in working towards a better world through this principle.
He defined Hindutva as a concept of oneness: "We need not be separate. We can go together. We can work together. We can live together, and we should do together. That is Hindutva."
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Elaborating on the term Hindu Rashtra, he said: "What was the purpose of Hindu Rashtra? (It was) to give this truth to the world that diversity is natural, unity is truth. This benefits the world."
Bhagwat's international tour commemorating the centenary year of RSS is expected to conclude on Monday, when he returns to India.
(With inputs from agencies)
