Nagpur, March 20 Selfish interests and the desire for dominance were the root cause of conflicts in the world, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on Friday, asserting that lasting peace can only be achieved through unity, discipline, and adherence to dharma.
Addressing a gathering in Nagpur, Bhagwat said that for 2,000 years, the world has experimented with various ideas to resolve conflicts with little success.
His comments came in the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in West Asia, where a full-fledged war started when the United States and Israel launched joint military strikes against Iran on February 28.
Religious intolerance, forced conversions, and ideas of superiority and inferiority still exist, Bhagwat pointed out.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief was speaking at the gathering after laying the foundation stone for the Vidarbha prant office of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in Nagpur.
Bhagwat said that India's ancient wisdom teaches that "all are connected and one", and called for a shift from conflict to harmony and cooperation.
He further noted that even modern science is gradually moving towards this understanding.
Bhagwat reiterated that selfish interests and the desire for dominance were the root cause of conflicts in the world, and that lasting peace can only be achieved through unity, discipline, and adherence to dharma.
Bhagwat said that dharma cannot remain confined to scriptures, but must be reflected in one's conduct.
Discipline and adherence to moral values require sustained practice and often involve personal hardship, he said.
While India believes in humanity, others believe in the struggle for existence and survival of the fittest, he said, reiterating that the world needs harmony, not conflict.
Amid the ongoing conflicts, voices emerging from across the world have said that only India can end the wars because it is the country's nature, Bhagwat said.
He said that it is India's responsibility to restore balance in the stumbling world by giving it the foundation of dharma.
"The people of India follow the law of humanity, but the rest of the world follows the law of the jungle. It is our job to restore balance in the stumbling world by giving it the foundation of dharma," he said.