London [UK], September 7 (ANI): RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s message of universal oneness, harmony and togetherness resonated with members of the Indian diaspora in London, who said his address underscored the need to preserve Hindu cultural traditions, connect younger generations with their heritage and work towards the larger interests of society.
Speaking to ANI, Tulsi Dave, National President of the National Hindu Students’ Forum UK, said the gathering of around 600 people, including community leaders representing over 326 organisations, was “truly inspiring”, particularly Bhagwat’s message of universal oneness.
Dave said, “It is incredible to be here today and to hear from Dr Mohan ji; to be surrounded by 600 individuals, including community leaders representing over 326 different organisations, is truly inspiring, especially Mohan ji’s message of universal oneness. Nowadays, in the turbulent times that we live in, it’s important that we bring our Hindu heritage and our tradition and teachings in order to help shape the way that we can impact society.”
She further emphasised the importance of being committed to the land where one lives and works, saying, “Our karmabhoomi is where we have our loyalty to, to keep working hard to improve society for the betterment of humanity, including humanity’s connection with nature in the land that we work, we reside, and that we serve.”
Mamit Agarwal, a trustee of Bolton Hindu Forum, who travelled from Manchester to attend the session, said such interactions were important for countering “misinformation” about Hinduism and for strengthening cultural links among the younger generation.
Speaking to ANI, Agarwal said, “I have come all the way from Manchester to attend this session today with Mohan Bhagwat ji. And I must say it’s an incredible session, and we should be doing something like this on a regular basis because it will help spread the ideology of Hinduism to the world, because there’s been a lot of misinformation happening all over the world. So, we need to clear that misinformation.”
Highlighting the importance of Bhagwat’s message for younger people, Agarwal said, “So, I think sessions like this are very important. And the basic fundamental what Mohan Bhagwat ji said today is to ensure that our new generation should be linked with our culture. And the new generation is quite inquisitive, so we have to make efforts to keep them connected with our traditions.”
Sushil Pandit, a Hindu from Kashmir currently based in London, said Bhagwat’s address to community leaders was held as part of the global celebrations marking the centenary year of the RSS.
Speaking to ANI, Pandit said, “I had the privilege of attending Shri Mohan Bhagwat’s talk today, addressing a lot of community leaders in London. This was on the occasion of global celebrations of the centenary year of RSS.”
Pandit said Bhagwat reiterated his message of unity and harmony, stressing the need for the community to remain sensitive to the challenges it faces. “His message that has been repeated several times at different occasions was the same here today as well: that we need to connect, we need to stay together, we need to build harmony, we need to take our nation forward. And for this, we need to be sensitive to the issues facing us,” he said.
He further said the address carried a broader message of collective responsibility and putting the interests of the community above the individual. “This was a message of harmony; it was a message of togetherness; it was a message of rising above self for the larger interest of community. I was happy to be here, and I hope his message goes home and the entire Hindu community is energised for the future,” Pandit said.
Earlier on Sunday, RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat spoke during the “Celebration of Oneness” dialogue being held in London as part of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s centenary celebrations and its wider overseas outreach programme.
The event was initiated by the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh UK (HSS UK), a Hindu social and cultural organisation established in Britain in 1966, with support from Integral.
More than 310 community organisations and associations from across the United Kingdom participated in the programme.
The London event formed part of Bhagwat’s three-city centenary outreach, which took him from New York to Toronto and now London. Bhagwat arrived in London on September 2 for the final leg of his visit to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. (ANI)
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