RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has reportedly said that Hindutva is India’s identity. I wonder what he means by the term “Hindutva” and how it is different from the religion of the Upanishads, as interpreted by Swami Vivekananda and Swami Aurobindo, both of whom the RSS projects as its icons.
Swami Vivekananda said: “I shall go to the mosque of the Mohammedan; I shall enter the Christian church and kneel before the crucifix; I shall enter the Buddhist temple where I shall take refuge in Buddha and in his law; I shall go into the forest and sit down in meditation with the Hindu who is trying to see the light which enlightens the heart of everyone.” It is to be noted that neither he nor Swami Aurobindo spoke the “them and us” language.
S. S Kaimal, via-e-mail