RSS chief: Forced conversion is violence, reconversion is correction
Nagpur: Forced or allured conversion is violence, and bringing tribal brethren back to their original fold is correction, said Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat during the valedictory function of RSS' Karyakarta Vikas Varg-II at Hedgewar Smruti Mandir premises in Reshimbagh on Thursday.
Bhagwat was responding to concerns raised by the chief guest, former Congressman and minister in Indira Gandhi's govt, Arvind Netam, who warned the gathering of swayamsevaks that widespread conversions threaten the identity and existence of India's tribal communities. "If this continues unchecked, tribals may meet the same fate as Red Indians in America, who have lost their identity," Netam cautioned, urging a strong anti-conversion law and proactive measures by RSS.
Former US Congressman Bill Shuster, Bob Shuster (founder-partner of One Plus Strategies), policy expert Bradford Ellison, international affairs scholar Prof Walter Russell Mead, and AI researcher Bill Dreskell were other chief guests at the RSS event.
Calling tribals an integral and inseparable part of India's civilizational soul, Bhagwat said, "Tribal beliefs are the origin of Hindu culture, religion, and civilization.
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Today's Hinduism cannot be imagined without them." He asserted that RSS sees all Indians, regardless of religion or region as brothers born of the same soil. "Our roots are the same. Our values are built on good faith, virtue, collaboration, and unity, be it tribal, non-tribal or urban," he said.
Netam, an influential tribal voice in Chhattisgarh politics, has since stepped away from party and electoral politics to focus on grassroots welfare in tribal areas.
Expressing confidence in the potential of the Sangh to reach deeper into tribal regions, Netam shared, "I'm working to bridge the intellectual gap between tribals and the Sangh. In one of our programmes, I invited RSS functionary Ram Lal as chief guest, and his address helped erase several misconceptions tribals had about the Sangh.
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He also hailed the Centre's successful handling of Maoist insurgency, especially in the Bastar region.
"But we must ensure that Maoism doesn't return in another form. This is where RSS has a big role to play," said Netam, adding tribals must be granted a "separate religious identity code" to prevent their manipulation by separatists and conversion agents.
Addressing this appeal, Bhagwat reiterated tribals are not distinct from Hinduism but its very foundation. He affirmed the Sangh's commitment to inclusive development and cultural preservation.
"Environmental conservation and development are not opposites. It is possible to achieve both simultaneously," Bhagwat said.
Responding to Netam's appeal that tribals must not be displaced from their land in the name of industrial development, Bhagwat acknowledged the concern. Netam proposed that land acquired for mining or development be taken on lease and returned to tribal families once the projects conclude.
The event marked a significant confluence of perspectives — Bhagwat's ideological guidance and Netam's grassroots insight — both underlining the need for cohesive national integration while preserving the tribal identity and addressing their pressing concerns.
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