India's 'big power' status in doubt:, says RSS chief

Events in India in the past one year have put a question mark on the country’s claim to being a big power, according to Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat.

“Till about two-three years ago, there was a perception that India could emerge as a big power. But things have changed in the past one year,” Bhagwat told RSS workers on Sunday.

He, however, did not identify the events that changed the perception of people about India.

Bhagwat, who is on a three-day tour to Bihar, said there were certain misgivings about the Sangh’s ideology. “The fact is that the essence of its activities is to build a strong India with Hindutva at its core,” he added.

“Hindutva is the binding force behind various diversities in the country and forms the base of the unity of the nation,” he stated, arguing Hindutva was at the core of the identity of the citizens of India. Seeking to remove the ‘misgiving’ that Hindutva was an ideology of a particular religion or community, the RSS chief said Hinduism had accommodated all religions and communities.

“If need be, we should study the examples set by countries that have prospered in the recent past.”