RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s New York speech must have frustrated those who opposed the event and sought its cancellation. They have done a disservice to the idea of free speech, which mandates the expression of all kinds of views, including those that people may find repulsive. The protesters’ main grievance was the exclusionary and polarising ideology of Hindutva, which the RSS espouses and which, according to them, is not only alien to the great Hindu religion but also contrary to the liberal and secular ethos of the Constitution.

Bhagwat not only clarified his idea of Hindutva yet again, but also silenced the proponents of “one nation, one religion, one nation, one language, one nation, one law, etc.” by explicitly emphasising diversity as the defining feature of Indian civilisation. This sermon on diversity is at variance with the classical idea of Hindutva propagated by V D Savarkar. Of course, unlike its advocates today, Savarkar was absolutely clear that Hindutva had nothing to do with Hinduism and both were distinct philosophies.

Bhagwat’s words on August 29 at Madison Square Garden are not an abrupt change of heart. He has been making such positive statements for some time now. He has, at times, contradicted himself — for instance, his statement that Hindus had been at war with Muslims for over a thousand years, or that Muslims deliberately increase their population. Such statements have provided fodder to liberals to claim that the RSS has not changed and........

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