Addressing the final session of the Karyakarta Vikas Varg in Nagpur on Thursday, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said that hundreds of years of ‘colonization and slavery’ have made India forget its ‘preparedness’ and that it needs to be ‘rebuilt.’ Sharing the stage with Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla is one of the very few images that so clearly captures the shifts in India’s politics and political economy. Just like the much-discussed image of former President Pranab Mukherjee attending the final session of the same education class and addressing an RSS gathering in Nagpur in 2018, this moment holds far more significance than the event itself, symbolizing a major shift in India’s political and institutional environment.
Addressing the gathering, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said, “From our traditions, we have inherited a nature that keeps us in harmony with creation, generation after generation. We endured slavery for thousands of years. Those who enslaved us were in no way better than us. They weren’t even more numerous. They came from far away and defeated us. They weren’t better than us in any way, but rather inferior to us. We had certain qualities that we didn’t preserve. We forgot them. We lost our preparedness. We must rebuild that preparedness. Hindus are responsible for India.”
He said, “We see powerful countries acting arbitrarily. They can occupy other countries if they wish. They can bomb other countries if they wish or cut off the world’s oil supply. The world should think this about India: that when India becomes powerful, it will not behave like this, but will take everyone along.” Referring to the conflict in the Middle East, Bhagwat further said, “In today’s world, even countries that have no direct connection to a conflict are affected. We are seeing a situation where there is a conflict between Iran and the United States, yet its consequences are felt far beyond those two countries.”
“Fluctuations in oil prices, trade disruptions, and economic uncertainty affect all of us. This is the nature of the interconnected world we live in today. We see that powerful countries often act on their own will. They can occupy another country at will, bomb another country, or disrupt the world’s oil supply. India should have the mindset that even after becoming powerful, it will not act in this way. Rather, it will move forward taking everyone along,” he added.
He further said, “The world needs India because only India can envision development that brings everyone together. There are some people who do not want India to progress and realize its full potential. I don’t want to elaborate on them; the situation is before us all, and you can see it for yourselves. But our duty is clear. It is our responsibility to work with dedication and determination for a better India.”
During his speech, Birla also appealed to the youth to embrace entrepreneurship. Birla said, “My message to the youth of India is simple: embrace entrepreneurship. This is a time of great opportunity. Build in India, build for India, and build for the world. The ideas, enterprises, and institutions you create today will not only shape India’s future but will also have a profound impact on the global stage.”
For a business house whose fortunes and identity were once deeply intertwined with Mahatma Gandhi and the Congress movement, this particular frame of Birla, seated on stage with Bhagwat as chief guest in Nagpur, carried symbolism far beyond a simple public appearance. For historical context, Ghanshyam Das Birla was one of Gandhi’s closest associates, financiers, and confidants. He opened the doors of Birla House for him. Gandhi spent his last days there. In many ways, the Birlas were not only patrons of the freedom movement but also its main financial backers.
That legacy continued even after independence. Kumar Mangalam Birla’s grandfather, K.K. Birla, remained firmly embedded in the Congress ecosystem, serving three terms in the Rajya Sabha and loyally standing by Indira Gandhi during some of the party’s most difficult years.