RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, in his annual Vijaydashami address in Nagpur on Thursday (October 2), cautioned that governments risk facing turmoil if they become disconnected from the people, pointing to the recent uprisings in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh as examples.

He described such violent movements as the “grammar of anarchy,” invoking B.R. Ambedkar’s warning that revolutions driven by violence cannot bring meaningful change.

Delivering the speech during the RSS’ centenary celebrations, Bhagwat also touched upon a range of issues, including India’s response to the Pahalgam terror attack, the need for self-reliance in the face of global trade challenges, and the significance of swadeshi practices.

“We are seeing turmoil in our neighbouring countries in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh. Sometimes the government is not connected to the people, does not make policies attuned to the concerns of the people, which creates dissatisfaction,” said Bhagwat.

“But to express dissatisfaction in this manner does not benefit anyone. Any movement that includes violence was called [the] ‘grammar of anarchy’ by Dr Ambedkar. Only democratic processes can bring change, such violent uprisings cannot bring change. There is turmoil but the condition remains the same. Nowhere in the world in history has any revolution achieved its objective.”

He added that violent protests often provide external forces an opportunity to interfere in domestic matters.

“No aim is achieved in violent protests, but the powers sitting outside the country get a platform to play their games. That is why the turmoil in our neighbouring countries, which are our own countries, they were part of India, is a cause of concern for us not just because we are neighbours but because of our feeling of togetherness,” Bhagwat said.

Turning to international trade, the RSS chief referred to tariffs imposed by the United States under President Donald Trump, emphasising that India must reduce dependency on external powers.

“The new tariff policy implemented by the US was done keeping in mind their own interests. But everyone is affected by them. The world functions with dependence on each other; this is how relations between any two nations are maintained. No country can survive in isolation. But this dependence must not turn into compulsion because we never know when things will change,” he said.

“That is why we need to rely on swadeshi and there is no substitute for swadeshi and swavalamban. We have to become atmanirbhar, use swadeshi and strive to maintain diplomatic relations with all our friendly nations, which will be due to our wish and not compulsion,” he added, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s earlier appeal to promote Indian-made products.

Bhagwat also referred to the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed, praising the response of the government and armed forces.

“After careful planning, the government and our forces gave a fitting response to this attack. During this entire period, we witnessed scenes of the firmness of the country’s leadership, the valour and preparedness of our armed forces as well as unity of society,” he said.

“After this incident, various countries took their positions, which showed us, who are our friends and who are not.”