"RETAINING DIRECTION FAVOURABLE THE CORE ESSENCE & OF SANGH DURING THE TIMES IS THE BIGGEST TEST"

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is marching towards the centenary year. There has been a growing curiosity about what is plan of RSS for this special accomplishment. From political influence to participation of women, many issues are often raised to counter the Sangh. On participation of youth, role of technology, perspective on LGBT, economy and environment, people expect Sangh to speak and give a direction. RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat cadidly addressed all these issues and much more in an exclusive conversation with Hitesh Shankar, Editor, Panchjanya and Prafulla Ketkar, Editor, Organiser at the Nagpur headquarters. Excerpts:

■ This much anticipated dialogue that the Panchajanya and the Organiser routinely conduct-one that our readers and viewers eagerly await-suffered a two-year' interruption because of COVID-19. However, during these intervening years, we have moved closer to the centenary of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. For any organisation, completing the hundred-year journey is a stiff challenge. One tends to deviate from the path or the journey ends. As the Sangh marched towards this major milestone, when did it face its biggest challenge? And what was it? We wish to know and understand.

Challenge is a too lofty word. Yes, it has been a journey through an uneven and difficult road. You have to face many unexpected turns on it. There were hurdles and roadblocks too. But we had a mission at hand, which we had to see through; this was all we focused on. Not losing our direction and our core essence, even as we went through all that ordeal-this was our greatest challenge.

As we were met with opposition-often quite loud-we had to face it calmly and prevail. However, we were sure that we must not become adversaries of our detractors. Because that would have resulted in more opposition; it we would have meant untiring firefighting. We could not afford to let that happen. Sometimes, circumstances force you to change the direction. However, on such occasions, instead of changing the course of our journey, we should simply explore new routes to the destination. We may take an unplanned turn, but never loose sight of our direction. Only then these new routes and turns will fetch desired rewards. Otherwise, a change of route could result in a change of direction. This realisation was our guiding beacon throughout our journey. We knew the road was laden with thorns; we had anticipated all these.