Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended warm wishes to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on his 75th birthday, praising his lifelong commitment to social harmony, national service and organizational reforms within the Sangh. In a detailed message, PM Modi described Bhagwat as a leader who has strengthened the ideals of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family) and dedicated his life to fostering equality, unity and brotherhood. “It is a happy coincidence that Bhagwat ji turns 75 in the same year that the RSS marks its centenary,” the Prime Minister said, praying for his long life and good health.
Modi recalled his own long association with the Bhagwat family, noting that he had worked closely with Mohan Bhagwat’s father, Madhukar Rao Bhagwat, whom he credited with laying the ideological foundations of service and sacrifice in Gujarat. He said Madhukar Rao had “shaped Mohan ji like a philosopher’s stone shaping another.”
Highlighting Bhagwat’s journey, the Prime Minister said the RSS chief had been at the forefront during the Emergency in the 1970s, worked in Maharashtra’s backward regions and spent valuable years in Bihar villages to empower society. Rising through the ranks as Akhil Bharatiya Sharirik Pramukh in the 1990s, Sarkaryawah in 2000, and Sarsanghchalak in 2009, Bhagwat has, according to Modi, “led with vision, intellectual depth and compassionate leadership.”
The Prime Minister also credited Bhagwat with steering major reforms in the Sangh during its most transformative phase, from changes in uniform and training methods to guiding the organization during the COVID-19 crisis. He praised Bhagwat’s ability to connect with youth, openness to new ideas, and emphasis on technology and global perspectives.
“His tenure will be remembered as the period of greatest change in the Sangh’s 100-year journey,” Modi said, pointing to Bhagwat’s role in mobilising volunteers for nationwide campaigns like Swachh Bharat and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao. He also underlined Bhagwat’s focus on sustainable lifestyles, environmental protection and Atmanirbhar Bharat.
PM Modi lauded Bhagwat’s personal qualities, describing him as soft-spoken, a good listener and deeply rooted in Indian culture, with interests ranging from music to literature. “Every swayamsevak dreams of a prosperous Bharat Mata. Mohan ji embodies both clear vision and strong action to realize that dream,” he said.
As the RSS prepares to mark its centenary on Vijayadashami this year, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti and Lal Bahadur Shastri Jayanti, the Prime Minister called it an “historic moment” and said it was the good fortune of millions of swayamsevaks that the organization was being led by a “visionary and hardworking Sarsanghchalak like Mohan Bhagwat.”
