Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s Vijayadashami speech in Nagpur was keenly awaited as it marked the culmination of the organisation’s centenary celebrations. The occasion offered him an opportunity to reflect on developments in India and the world, particularly the protest movement challenging the NDA government.

What emerged, however, was a striking contrast with the position he articulated barely two months earlier. On August 6, addressing nearly 2,000 students from more than 100 cities in Mumbai, he adopted an unusually conciliatory tone. The audience in Nagpur consisted largely of regular RSS members and office bearers.

The difference was reflected unmistakably in his words. In Mumbai, he sought to understand the younger generation; in Nagpur, he sounded a warning against forces allegedly seeking to destabilise........

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