Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat is scheduled to arrive in Manipur on November 20 for the first time since ethnic violence erupted two years ago, an organization functionary said on Wednesday.
During his three-day stay Bhagwat will interact with citizensbusinessmen and representatives of the tribal community, RSS state general secretary Tarunkumar Sharma told news agency PTI.
“Our Sarsangchalak’s visit to the state is in connection with RSS centenary celebrations. He will arrive from Guwahati on November 20 and depart on November 22,” he said.
The visit is related to the centenary celebrations of the organization. Bhagwat is currently on a three-day visit to Assam to participate in similar events to commemorate 100 years of the RSS.
First trip since violence erupted in Manipur
It will be Bhagwat’s first visit since the outbreak of violence two years ago, another RSS functionary said, adding that he last visited the state in 2022.
The RSS, which calls itself a cultural organization, is an ideological source Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Separate interactive sessions with prominent citizens, Janajati (tribal) community representatives and youth leaders will be held as part of his itinerary, Sharma said.
“On the day of his arrival, he will meet businessmen and dignitaries at a program at Konjeng Leikai in Imphal. On November 21, Bhagwat will meet and interact with tribal leaders from the Manipur hills,” he said.
When asked if the RSS chief will visit the relief camps where internally displaced people have been staying for the past two years, he replied: “That is not planned yet. The visit is mostly an internal part of the organization.”
Since May 2023, ethnic violence between the Meiteis and Kuki-Zo groups has killed more than 260 people and left thousands homeless.
The center saved President’s Government in Manipur after Chief Minister N Biren Singh resigned.
The State Assembly, which has a term of office until 2027, was suspended.
In Guwahati on Tuesday, Bhagwat said that anyone who is “proud of Bharat” is a Hindu. While interacting with people in the Assam capital, Bhagwat asserted that ‘Hinduism’ is not just a religious term but a civilizational identity rooted in thousands of years of cultural continuity.
Bharat and Hind are synonyms. India does not need an official declaration to be a “Hindu Rashtra”.
“Bharat and Hindus are synonymous. India needs no official declaration to be ‘Hindu Rashtra‘. Its civilizational ethos already reflects this,” Bhagwat, the RSS chief, told the fountain Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
