London, September 4 (HS): Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Dr. Mohan Bhagwat is on a visit to the United Kingdom from September 2 to 7. According to RSS publicity chief Sunil Ambekar, more than 100 organisations have come together to welcome Bhagwat and support various programmes during his visit, while a major programme for community leaders has received the support of 310 organisations.

The visit, being held in the RSS centenary year, has been organised at the invitation of UK-based organisation Integral. Ambekar said the objective of the visit was to establish dialogue with as many people and representatives of different communities as possible.

He said diplomatic dialogue between governments has its own importance, but direct contact and dialogue between people are equally essential for strengthening relations between countries. According to him, strengthening cultural and civilisational ties can provide a broader foundation for mutual understanding.

Ambekar said the RSS is the world's largest voluntary organisation working on the basis of culture and civilisation and could have an important role to play globally. He said Bhagwat's UK visit was an effort to advance people-to-people and culture-to-culture engagement, alongside dialogue at the governmental level.

RSS raises concerns over Western understanding of Hindutva

Asked about the Western academic understanding of Hindutva, Ambekar said several misconceptions exist about the concept. He said India cannot be understood solely through the framework of a modern political nation-state, as it also has a broader cultural and civilisational identity.

Ambekar said Hindutva should not be viewed as a concept confined to any one religion. According to him, it encompasses respect for different faiths and religious traditions as well as a belief in truth.

He expressed hope that the dialogues during Mohan Bhagwat's UK visit would help foster a better understanding of India's cultural perspective and address existing perceptions surrounding Hindutva.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar