New Delhi, 26 August

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Tuesday that common traditions of ancestors bind people living in undivided India since ancient times, asserting that the DNA of those living in the vast landmass for over 40,000 years is the same.

In his address to eminent personalities from different walks of life as his organisation inches towards 100 years of its journey, he defined Hindus in broad outlines of geography and traditions, and said some people know but do not acknowledge themselves as Hindus while some others do not know it.

He was speaking at a programme, themed "100 Years Journey of RSS: New Horizons", being held at the Vigyan Bhawan.

The content is not geographical, there is devotion to "Bharat Mata" and the tradition of ancestors which is common to all, he said.

"Our DNA is the same as well... Living in harmony is our culture," he said.

The Hindutva organisation head said India could not reach the desired status that it should have in the 75 years of independence, asserting that the RSS' objective is to make the country "vishwaguru" and that the time for India's contribution to the world has arrived.

He stressed the need for social transformation for the country's rise.

"If we have to make the country rise, then it will not happen by leaving the job to someone. Everybody will have a role to play," he said, adding that the role of politicians, governments and political parties is to assist the process.

But the main reason will be the transformation of society and its gradual progress, he added.

Since ancient times, he said, Indians never differentiated among people, realising that everyone and the world is bound together by the same divinity. The term "Hindu", he said, was used by outsiders for Indians.

Hindus believe in following their path and respecting others, and they do not believe in fighting over the issue but coordination, he added.

Earlier, RSS' national publicity and media head Sunil Ambekar said that during the three-day lecture series, which began on Tuesday, Bhagwat will hold "dialogue" with a diverse gathering of prominent people from the society and present his views on important issues facing the country.