Be loyal to America, it is your karmabhoomi: Mohan Bhagwat to Indian diaspora at New York's Madison Square Garden

"We (You) live in America, we earn in America, so we are Americans. And we should be true to America," Bhagwat said amid rousing applause at the event “Universal Oneness Celebrations”, organised by the American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) Forum at the Infosys Theater inside Madison Square Garden on Aug 29. .

"The Bharatiya diaspora has a duty to their karmabhoomi, they must fulfil that duty and remain loyal to their karmabhoomi. If they can do something for their birthplace, it is okay and not prohibited, but not obligatory."

The event was organised by the American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) Forum at the Infosys Theater inside Madison Square Garden on Aug 29. Photo: RSS/X

Your janmabhoomi expects you to live the values it has imparted to you, he said, adding that what diaspora Indians do for India is not obligatory.

"So this is the value of oneness. Ensure what we do sustains everything," he said.

When you take responsibility for others, it liberates you. On Raksha Bandhan, one must realise the meaning of the bandhan, or oneness. He said the dream of realising the eternal truth is oneness.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat speaks at Madison Square Garden in New York during an event which was attended by a large number of Indian diaspora members. Photo: RSS/X. Photo: RSS/X

"Even our enemies and we are one, enmity is a man-made thing," he said.

Bhagwat also said unity in diversity is in Bharat's DNA, arguing that diversity must be "celebrated, respected and accepted" while the underlying sense of oneness must be preserved. He said Bharat's mission was to make the world realise that unity and diversity can coexist, not by preaching but by practice.

He also stressed the importance of giving back to society, saying that people take from the world and therefore have a responsibility to contribute. "How much we earn is not important; how much we distribute is," he said.

A large gathering of Indian diaspora members listened to RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat during his address at Madison Square Garden in New York. Photo: RSS/X

Speaking about humanity's relationship with nature, Bhagwat said human beings, having become the most powerful species, also have a responsibility to sustain other forms of life. "We cannot merely let live; we have to help others live," he said.

On conflict and enmity, he said India's civilisational tradition does not call for destroying one's enemies, but rather for wishing that the "wicked mindset" disappears. "Even our enemies and we are one," he said, describing enmity as a man-made phenomenon arising from circumstances and situations.