How Vivekanand's and the Sarsanghchalak's US Visits Echo Each Other, and Why They Matter to Young Bharatiyas
Address That Made a Hall Stand
On 11 September 1893, a young, unknown monk in saffron robes stepped onto the stage of the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago. He had no prepared speech and represented no government. He opened with the words “Sisters and Brothers of America,” and the entire hall rose in applause. With that one greeting, Swami Vivekanand gave the Western world its first real glimpse of how inclusive Bharatiya civilisation is. He took an idea the Upanishads had taught thousands of years earlier: that all of humanity is one family, beyond religion, sect, race and national borders. He presented it with total confidence to a modern, industrial and imperial world.
Now, 133 years later, another Bharatiya voice crossed the Atlantic carrying the same message. Dr. Mohan Bhagwat, Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has completed a 17-day tour of the United States, Canada and Britain, timed with the Sangh’s centenary year. The tour’s central theme was Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, “the whole world is my family.” In both cases, a Bharatiya thinker went abroad speaking the language of unity, not confrontation.
This article compares the two journeys. It also asks why Dr. Bhagwat’s American engagements matter to two groups: young people in Bharat, and Bharatiya-origin youth growing up in the United States and other Western countries.
Vivekanand’s Journey: Speaking Into a Hostile Silence
In the late nineteenth century, Bharat was under colonial rule. The West’s picture of Bharatiya culture came mostly from colonial and missionary writings, which portrayed Bharatiya society as backward, superstitious and uncivilised. Missionary organisations were actively running campaigns to discredit Hinduism. Vivekanand reached America without a formal invitation and with very little money, into an atmosphere that was far from friendly.
His response was neither anger nor defensiveness. Instead, he explained the depth of Vedanta, along with its tolerance and inclusiveness. He said that just as rivers take different paths and all end up in the sea, all religions take different routes to the same ultimate truth. That one image made the case for Bharatiya civilisation better than any argument could. A culture that had been seen only through distortion came to be recognised as home to some of the most profound philosophies in the world. After this speech, Vivekanand lectured widely across America and Europe, founded Vedanta societies, and earned Bharatiya spirituality a respected place in Western intellectual life.
Today’s Backdrop: A Different Era, Familiar Challenges
Bharat today is independent and influential on the world stage. Yet the challenge has not gone away; it has only changed form. In Western countries, many misconceptions about Bharat, Hindu society and the RSS are still in circulation.
Dr. Bhagwat left New Delhi on 24 August for the 17-day tour. In the United States he visited several cities. In New York, he was scheduled to address the Hindu American community at the “Universal Oneness Celebration,” held to coincide with Raksha Bandhan. Hindu cultural, spiritual, service and community organisations from across the country were expected to attend. The tour then moved on to Canada and Britain, where he met people of Bharatiya origin, local thinkers and social leaders. The Ahead Forum, which helped organise the visit, says the journey rests on the timeless idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam and carries a message of inclusive harmony and cultural oneness.
Parallels Between Two Journeys
Although the two visits are 133 years apart, they have a lot in common.
First, both took place when Bharat’s image was being contested.
Vivekanand faced a colonial narrative that called Bharatiya culture backward. Today, organised disinformation and social media campaigns are used to paint a negative picture of Hindu society and the Sangh. The current visit also comes at a time when there are efforts to malign Hindutva by projecting it as something different from Hinduism, even though the word simply means “being Hindu” or “Hinduness.” Five years ago, it was shameful to see certain people of Bharatiya origin in the US shaping this narrative by organising an event called “Dismantling the Global Hindutva.” In both eras, the intended response was not conflict but dialogue based on facts.
Second, both stressed direct engagement with the Bharatiya community abroad and with local society.
Vivekanand introduced American audiences to Bharatiya spirituality. Dr. Bhagwat met people of Bharatiya origin in the US, Canada and Britain, especially the Hindu community, along with local intellectuals and social leaders. Strengthening the identity and interests of the Bharatiya diaspora was one of the tour’s stated purposes.
Third, both journeys drew their authority from culture and spirituality, not political office.
Vivekanand did not represent the government of Bharat. He stood there as a monk, relying only on the strength of his ideas. Similarly, Dr. Bhagwat holds no government position. He spoke as the head of a social and cultural organisation that likely has no match anywhere in the world in both scale and purpose.
Fourth, and most important, the core idea is the same: bringing people together, not dividing them.
Vivekanand rejected bigotry and intolerance and taught that there is truth in every faith. With Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam at its centre, Dr. Bhagwat’s tour likewise carried a message of inclusive harmony and cultural unity.
Why the World Needs This Message Now
The tour comes at a time when the world feels restless and divided on many fronts. Armed conflicts continue in several regions, and religious and ethnic tensions are rising. Governments are increasingly shaping policy around migration issues, and public attitudes towards migrants have hardened. Deep distrust exists between cultural identities. “Woke” ideas, which have spread over recent decades, add to the friction. Some so-called democracies are using their military power for undemocratic ends. All of this has unsettled and destabilised the world.
In such conditions, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam is no longer just a philosophical phrase. The world is now paying attention to it, partly because our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has repeatedly used it on his visits abroad. It is becoming a practical necessity. A planet that is deeply interconnected through trade, technology, migration and climate cannot solve its problems if it treats other people as permanent rivals. The idea of the world as one family gives us a different starting point for dealing with one another.
There is also a more immediate worry. In recent years, there have been repeated complaints of rising hate incidents against people of Bharatiya origin and the Hindu community in Western countries. Attacks on temples, desecration of cultural symbols and the spread of misconceptions about Hinduism have left many in the diaspora feeling unsafe. Some political figures and organisations also objected to Dr. Bhagwat’s tour. That such objections came up is itself a reminder of how anti-Bharat forces abroad have tried to tarnish the public image of the Sangh.
Why Face-to-Face Dialogue Matters
Vivekanand’s era and ours are completely different in how information moves. In the nineteenth century, a message could take months to travel from one corner of the globe to another. Today it crosses the world in seconds, and events in one country echo everywhere almost instantly. That same speed also spreads misinformation and propaganda, so a false image of an organisation or community can form quickly and is very hard to correct.
In this environment, direct personal conversation remains the most credible way to clear up misunderstandings. No need to mention, this has always been the Sangh’s strength. A rebuttal or clarification posted online rarely has the same effect as sitting across from someone and talking, because trust and warmth are built in person. Seen this way, the tour was a serious effort to present a fact-based, positive picture of Sanatana Hindu Dharma, Bharatiya culture and the RSS through dialogue.
Dr. Bhagwat has used this method before. In 2018, he held a three-day question-and-answer programme in Delhi, where he explained the Sangh’s vision for Bharat’s future. Since then, he has organised other events in Bharat to explain the Sangh’s position and clear up misconceptions. One of them, a conversation with schoolchildren, took place in the first week of August 2026. Now he has taken the same approach to the global stage. Since this was his first such tour abroad, the message he carried was probably pretty simple. Future tours would may carry a deeper Bharatiya message; addressing more complexities.
The Appeal for Bharatiya-Origin Youth in the United States
The most important audience was the Bharatiya-origin children growing up abroad, so it is no surprise that the Sarsanghchalak had much to say to them. They face a special challenge: staying connected to their roots. Growing up under strong Western cultural influence, the new generation naturally risks slowly losing familiarity with its cultural heritage, language and traditions.
Dr. Bhagwat’s speeches abroad offered them several things.
A positive way to understand their identity
A young Bharatiya American often first meets Bharat and Hinduism through school textbooks, the media or social media, where they regularly come across a distorted image of their faith and of their country. It can badly damage their confidence. A message built around Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam presents itself to them as a source of confidence and openness. Its appeal is no less than that of Swami Vivekanand’s greeting of “Sisters and Brothers of America.” It also says that being proudly Hindu or Bharatiya does not mean being against anyone, and that the family of the world has room for everyone. Needless to say, this appeal reached Hindus and Bharatiya youth around the world. It did not remain limited to the countries he visited.
He also spoke about the diaspora's duty to the country they live in. In essence, he said: we live in America and earn in America, so we should be true to America. The Bharatiya diaspora has a duty to its Karma Bhumi, and must fulfil it. The Janmabhumi expects you to live by the values it has given you. How much one earns is not important; how much one gives is. This would certainly have comforted Bharatiya youth in America and given them a true sense of their new identity.
A bridge between belonging and integration
Many diaspora youth feel pulled between two worlds. The idea of the whole world as one family removes this false choice. A young person can be a committed American citizen and a proud inheritor of Bharatiya civilisation at the same time, because the philosophy itself is universal, not exclusive. Young people are thus freed from the burden of this inner conflict. He also mentioned the word ‘pluralism’, which is often discussed in the US. For Bharat, he said its equivalence is unity in diversity, which is in our DNA. Diversity is natural, and unity is the truth. We should understand this and shape our lives accordingly. We are one, and diversity decorates that oneness. These parallels should have removed any doubts in the minds of the youth.
Reassurance in a time of insecurity
Reports of temple attacks and hate incidents have made some in the community anxious about their place in Western societies. When a prominent leader speaks to them directly about dignity and harmony instead of grievance, it can steady a generation that is still finding its footing.
A fresh introduction to their heritage
Just as Vivekanand introduced Bharat to Americans, today’s efforts additionally aim to reintroduce Bharatiya-origin youth to their roots and to the broad vision of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. Cultural gatherings such as the Raksha Bandhan celebration, which takes a family festival and gives it a universal meaning, offer a way into that heritage that feels personal rather than academic. The value of such an initiative is hard to put into words.
The Appeal for Young People of Bharat
The speeches also carry a message for young people at home, who follow these events closely online and often form their sense of how the world sees Bharat through them.
Confidence without being defensive
Bharatiya youth are constantly exposed to foreign opinions about their Nation and faith; most of it is hostile. Bharatiya-origin youth abroad tend to drift away from their roots naturally, while the minds of youth in Bharat are being constantly poisoned by various internal and external forces, creating an apathy about being Hindu. Watching a leader engage critics and sceptics abroad through conversation can teach young Bharatiyas that self-assurance and openness can go together.
A model for handling disinformation
Young Bharatiyas are among the heaviest users of social media, where propaganda and counter-propaganda spread fast. The tour’s underlying lesson is a practical one for a generation that lives online: misconceptions are best corrected through direct, fact-based dialogue, not endless online quarrels.
A link between tradition and the modern world
The tour shows that an ancient idea can be applied to present-day problems such as conflict, migration, identity politics and mistrust. For young people who sometimes see tradition as a relic, it shows that old, timeless ideas are relevant to their situation too.
The Centenary Context
The tour was especially significant because it coincided with the RSS’s centenary year. An organisation that began modestly a hundred years ago has grown into one of the largest social-cultural organisations in the world. One wonders how to fit it into the stereotype lables that are available today, i.e. whether to call it an NGO, a socio-cultural organisation, or a religious organisation. After a deep study, one realizes that it simply does not fit into one category, and it makes it one of a kind. In this milestone year, the Sangh has decided to strengthen its global outreach; hence this international programme. The Sangh wants to present its founding principles of service, organisation and nation-building to the world, and to introduce the inclusiveness of Sanatana Hindu Dharma to a global audience. Just like Vivekanand’s journey to Chicago, this tour is sure to be written in golden letters.
One Thread Across Centuries
More than 130 years lie between 1893 and today, and the world has changed almost beyond recognition. Yet the shape of the two journeys is strikingly similar. In both, a Bharatiya thinker, without the power of the state behind him, travelled to the West to speak not of conflict, but of unity. In both, the goal was to replace distorted images with direct understanding. And in both, the audience that matters most is the next generation: those who will inherit a crowded, connected and quarrelsome world and must decide whether to treat it as a battlefield or as a family.
For the young Bharatiya American looking for a confident way to be both and American, and for the young Bharatiya at home watching how the world sees his nation, the Sarsanghchalak’s message offers the same glorious invitation that Swami Vivekanand extended in Chicago. This also explains what Swami Vivekanand meant when he said that the twenty-first century would belong to Bharat. Needless to say, it is being made possible only by the Sangh’s vision for the motherland, which is being brought into reality by our Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi. The prophecy of one Narendra is being fulfilled into reality by another Narendra.
(This article was contributed by Sh.Rajesh Kulkarni for abvp.org)