On Vijayadashami 2016 (11 October 2016), Mohan Bhagwat gave the annual address at the gathering in Reshimbagh, Nagpur. This page summarises what was reported about it.
The day
- Date: 11 October 2016
- Place: Reshimbagh, Nagpur
- Address by: Mohan Bhagwat
What the address covered
Bhagwat praised the Army's September 2016 surgical strikes across the Line of Control, saying they had raised India's international prestige and that the firmness shown in defence and diplomacy should become permanent policy. He reiterated that all of Kashmir, including Pakistan-occupied areas, belongs to India, and criticised unnamed 'selfish forces', which Newslaundry linked to opposition demands for proof of the strikes. He described the Una flogging of Dalits as an incident exploited to malign the government and the RSS, and distinguished genuine cow protectors from troublemakers. Other themes were ending caste discrimination and the commercialisation of education. The RSS paraded in brown trousers instead of khaki shorts for the first time.
As reported
This firmness and the efficiency shown in the matter of diplomacy and defence should permanently reflect in our policy
Context
Public debut of the new uniform of brown trousers replacing khaki shorts. According to Newslaundry, Doordarshan aired the speech in full for the third year running.
How sure is this?
This account is supported by two or more independent sources, listed below.
In the archive
Sources & copyright status
- Newslaundry, 'Mohan Bhagwat addresses RSS members on Vijayadashami, this time in trousers' (11 Oct 2016)
- The Indian Awaaz (AMN), 'RSS chief lauds Army's surgical strikes' (11 Oct 2016)
- Organiser, 'Cover Story: RSS Vijayadashami 2016' (17 Oct 2016)
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