Calls on Indian Americans to be loyal to ‘karma bhumi’ and appeals for ‘unity in diversity’

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat addressing the gathering at Madison Square Garden August 29, 2026. PHOTO: Universal Oneness Celebration.

New York [US], August 30, 2026: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday, August 29, 2026, speaking at Madison Square Garden, NYC, said while Bharat remains the ‘Janma Bhumi’ (birthplace) of the “Bharatiya” (Indian) diaspora, their country of residence is their ‘Karma Bhumi’ and they must first fulfil their duties and remain loyal to the country where they live.

Scores of religious leaders from 30 countries pose on stage at MSG Universal Oneness Celebration, to announce five-point plan to take responsibility for global future. PHOTO: X.com @RSSorg

According to an RSS post on X.com, some 180 religious leaders from 30 countries attended and announced a five-point action plan to take responsibility for the future. “Global religious leaders reject use of religion to justify hatred, humiliation, dehumanization, or violence. ‘One world One Humanity’ ‘call for action’ resolution commit to stand for dignity of any community threatened with humiliation or violence,” the post said.

“What is our duty? We are in America, we live in America, we earn in America. So we are American. And we should behave true to America. The diaspora, Bharatiya diaspora, they have a duty to their karma bhumi. They must fulfil that. They should be loyal to their karma bhumi,” Bhagwat said in his address.

A section of the crowd listening to RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat August 29, 2026, at Madison Square Garden. Seated in audience is Padma Shri recipient Dr. Sudhir Parikh, chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media and President of the Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, 4th from left. PHOTO: X.com @RSSorg

“Because Bharat is their janma bhumi, if they have an urge to do something and they can do that, after fulfilling their duties to their karma bhumi, it is not prohibited. But it is not obligatory,” the RSS chief added.

An estimated 5,000 people attended the Madison Square Garden event entitled Universal Oneness Celebration, where RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat (seen in photo) was among the speakers. PHOTO: X.com @RSSorg

“Your janma bhumi expects you to live the values it has imparted on you. And this is the value. This is the value, oneness. We are one with human beings. We are one with nature,” Bhagwat said.

The Universal Oneness Celebration was a key highlight of Bhagwat’s international tour. The RSS leader arrived in New York earlier this week on the first leg of his three-nation global outreach tour to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom at the invitation of overseas local organizations as part of RSS’ centenary year celebrations.

“Unity in diversity in Bharat’s DNA”

Bhagwat highlighted “unity in diversity” saying it is embedded in India’s “DNA” and that India’s destiny is to make the world realize that diversity can coexist with oneness.

While “pluralism” is frequently associated with the United States, “unity in diversity” defines India, he contended.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat addressing a gathering at Madison Square Garden August 29, 2026. PHOTO: Universal Oneness Celebration via ANI

“I have come here from Nagpur in Bharat to share with you today’s joy and today’s spirit. When we say United States of America, one word is often discussed frequently. That is pluralism. And when we say Bharat, another phrase is discussed: unity in diversity. For Bharat, this unity and this diversity, both are in their DNA,” Bhagwat said.

“Nations are not merely geographical entities. In the design of this universe, nations have to carry out a duty,” Bhagwat said quoting Swami Vivekananda as saying, ”Every nation has a message to deliver. Every nation has a mission to accomplish. Every nation has a destiny to fulfil.”

“What is the destiny given to Bharat? Bharat is there to realize and from time to time make the world realize this unity in diversity. We are one, and due to diversity, that oneness is decorated,” he said. “Diversity has to be celebrated, has to be respected, has to be accepted. And at the same time, we must keep in mind this feeling of oneness. It is a very real feeling,” he said.

Bhagwat invoked the ancient Indian sages to make his point. “Our ancient rishis had foreseen that and created a whole nation for that. The well-meaning rishis, with a feeling of welfare of the world, undertook the difficult penance. Through that, our nation was created,” he said.

Thousands watch a cultural event at Madison Square Garden, a part of the Universal Oneness Celebration event held August 29, 2026. PHOTO: @universaloneness.org

Reiterating that nations cannot be reduced to geographical boundaries, the RSS chief described fulfilling India’s destiny as a collective responsibility of its people.

“No nation is a geographical piece of land. All nations have a destiny to fulfil. This is the Bharat destiny,” Bhagwat said. “Let us awaken as Bharatiyas to that destiny and fulfil our duties in our karma bhumi as well as our janma bhumi. If we do that, that will be a boon for the world struggling with all these problems and stumbling at every step. We have to give sustenance; we have to give some sort of support to this world,” he said.

“If any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslim in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu”: Bhagwat

Noting that there is no difference between human beings and that various religious paths lead to the same goal, Bhagwat said, “if any Hindu thinks that there should be no Muslim in Bharat, he will not remain Hindu.”

“If you want to call yourself Hindu, you must believe that all paths are leading to the same goal and that every human has dignity. There is no difference between human beings,” he said.

The RSS Chief made the remarks while recalling his conversation with a group of Muslims who asked him about Hindutva.

He said, “I do not only tell others not to come to gain something. In Sangha, we only give. We don’t want anything. That is why in publicity matters, we are way behind… Politics today, especially in a democracy, depends on the public view. If there is public opinion, then no politician will dare to go against it. Therefore, I think after taking a common resolve today, we have to act in these societies, and we have to act first locally,” he said.

“Whatever we decide to do today, we should start in our own country and create pockets of such selfless service, such an atmosphere of unity, and then this dialogue should continue. Through this dialogue, we should connect them, and then we should grow,” he added.

Bhagwat recalled work done by RSS volunteers after the 1996 Charkhi Dadri mid-air collision, after which RSS Swayamsevaks treated the injured, arranged the funerals etc. without regard to whether the victims were Muslim or Hindu.

“The prominent working organization was RSS. We could do this because we are not in politics. And we don’t go on making these things famous because we don’t want anything from this. … There are many perceptions created by wrong narratives. But when you come and see us from inside, all those will be disbelieving in the day,” he added.

The RSS Chief said that work is required to be done for positive changes in society.

“This is the traditional thought of Bharat- unity of humanity. All our leaders, at any point in time, have emphasized that too. After independence, we got the constitution, which emphasizes this, but that is not happening. Because these things do not happen through politics. I’m sorry to say, but the fact is, politics has now become a game of self-interest. And you have rightly said, where there is me and I, there is no solution. We and ours are the solution. So our experience in Bharat is that we have to start with the society,” he said.

“If we do not keep educating the society, then the deflections creep in, and somehow it happened in the course of history,” he said.

Bhagwat’s visit, which was highly anticipated, and also led to a split within the Indian American community, with supporters and opponents campaigning for their positions days before the August 29 event. On that day, the groups advocated for their positions outside Madison Square Garden.