Vice President CP Radhakrishnan on Thursday, September 24, said Hindutva is about taking everyone together while protecting the individual rights of all people.
Radhakrishnan made the remarks while speaking at an event in New Delhi to launch the book Vishwasanchar Hindutva Ka. He said Hindutva should not be understood as being against any particular group.
“Hindutva cannot be against anyone. We want to take everybody together, but everybody should have their own rights that should be preserved. I should not be over ambitious so that I can encroach on the rights of somebody. That is not Hindutva. That is not Dharma also,” he said.
Radhakrishnan on Different Interpretations of Hindutva
The Vice President said Hindutva has been understood differently in different historical and intellectual contexts.
“It has been interpreted differently by political thinkers, scholars, organisers and critics. Therefore, a serious engagement with the subject requires examining its historical development, its philosophical dimensions and the different interpretations surrounding it,” he said.
Radhakrishnan also spoke about his long association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), saying the organisation was established to revive what he described as India’s cultural heritage based on Hindutva.
“It was through this very lens that Keshav Baliram Hedgewar ji understood the bond between Hindutva and the Sangh,” he said.
The RSS was founded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in Nagpur in 1925 and completed 100 years in 2025. Radhakrishnan said the centenary provided an opportunity to reflect on the organisation’s history, ideas and working methods.
‘We Differ, But We Unite’
Radhakrishnan said cultural Hindutva represents values, cultural ideals, human relationships and the idea of universal well being.
“We differ, but we unite. Cultural Hindutva represents a union of elements such as core values, cultural life ideals, genuine human relationship and universal well being. We are always thinking that when we say Hindutva means that we are against others. It is not so,” he said.
He compared the growth of the RSS to the journey of the Ganga, saying the river begins as a small stream in the Himalayas but grows large enough to carry ships as it reaches the Bay of Bengal.
“The Sangh started with a few people as a small organisation. Today, it has become a global organisation and spread across the country, with its swayamsevaks contributing to different spheres of national and social life,” he said.
Radhakrishnan also referred to Yoga as an example of an Indian tradition that has travelled beyond the country and become a global practice.
Vice President Calls on Young People to Question and Learn
Speaking about the book, Radhakrishnan said the word “Vishwasanchar” refers to the movement and communication of ideas across the world.
He said the book encourages readers to examine how elements of India’s cultural heritage have travelled, interacted with other societies and acquired new meanings.
The Vice President also called on young people to read, question and investigate India’s heritage while remaining aware of constitutional values and democratic institutions.
“A civilisation thrives and grows when it has the confidence to engage with change while retaining its roots in its foundational values, culture and ethos,” he said.
