‘Bharat Ratna’s Prestige Will Increase if Given to Savarkar’: RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat

Fueling calls for India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, to be conferred on Hindutva ideologue V.D. Savarkar, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said awarding the honour to Savarkar would enhance the award’s prestige.

“Bharat Ratna’s prestige will increase if it is given to Veer Savarkar,” Bhagwat said at an event in Mumbai, using the honorific meaning “brave” for Savarkar, according to news agency PTI.

Demands for the Bharat Ratna to be awarded to Savarkar have been raised repeatedly in recent years, particularly by right-wing groups. The Congress, however, has opposed the move, describing Savarkar as a “traitor” over the mercy petitions he submitted to British authorities while imprisoned during India’s freedom struggle.

Bhagwat on Turning 75 and Retirement

Bhagwat was also questioned about his age during an interactive session held as part of celebrations marking the RSS’s centenary. He turned 75 in September last year, the same age as Prime Minister Narendra Modi—a detail frequently highlighted by Opposition parties, given the BJP’s informal retirement norm of 75 years.

“Generally, it is said that after turning 75, one should work without holding any post,” Bhagwat said. “I have completed 75 years and informed the RSS, but the organisation asked me to continue working. Whenever the RSS asks me to step down, I will do so, but retirement from work will never happen.”

He added that there is no election for the post of RSS chief. “Regional and divisional heads appoint the chief,” Bhagwat said.

In a lighter moment, Bhagwat remarked that the organisation “extracts work till the last drop of blood from its volunteers,” adding that there has never been a situation in the RSS’s history where someone “had to be retired.”

‘Excessive Campaigning Leads to Arrogance’

Speaking on the RSS’s functioning, Bhagwat said the Sangh focuses on inculcating sanskar (values) rather than campaigning.

“Excessive campaigning leads to publicity and then arrogance. One needs to protect oneself from it. Publicity should be like rainfall—adequate in timing and quantity,” he said, while noting that the RSS has stepped up outreach activities in recent years.

On language, Bhagwat said English would never be the primary medium of communication within the RSS, as it is not an Indian language. “We want to work with Indians. Wherever English is necessary, we use it. We are not averse to it,” he said.

He added that people should speak English in a way that native speakers would be willing to listen, while also stressing the importance of mother tongues. “We should master English, but that does not mean we forget our mother tongue,” Bhagwat said.

Recalling a previous interaction in Bengaluru, Bhagwat said he had responded in English to representatives from southern states who could not understand Hindi. He added that while engaging with the Indian diaspora abroad, communication is conducted either in Hindi or in regional languages, depending on the audience.