Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Wednesday asserted that those who migrated to India during the 1947 Partition were not “refugees” but “warriors of struggle”, arguing that they consciously abandoned generations of wealth, property, businesses, farmland and homes in the newly created Pakistan to choose Bharat and their faith.
Speaking at the 75th Foundation Day programme of the Sindhu Education Society in Nagpur, Bhagwat said the term “refugee” was wrongly used for those who crossed into India after Partition. While acknowledging that they were displaced, he maintained that their journey represented an act of sacrifice and conviction rather than helplessness.
“They were not refugees, though they were displaced. It was the wrong term used for them at that time. They were warriors of struggle who struggled out of love for their motherland and out of love for their faith,” Bhagwat said.
According to Bhagwat, those who migrated consciously chose to live in Bharat because it was a land where they could practise their religion without fear. They left behind livelihoods and prosperity built over several generations, yet decided that their nation and dharma were more important than material possessions.
“They did not choose a career, they did not choose wealth. They chose the country, they chose their faith (dharma),” he said.
Partition Through the Lens of Sacrifice
Reflecting on the Partition, Bhagwat said the people who crossed into India had suffered immense personal loss, but the responsibility for the country’s division did not rest on them alone.
“They lost a battle, not because of their own faults alone. We, all of us, lost that battle to keep India united,” he said.
Bhagwat argued that despite losing everything they had built over generations, they made a conscious decision to rebuild their lives in India, making their journey one of resilience and commitment rather than victimhood.
Perseverance in the Face of Adversity
Using the occasion to speak about resilience, Bhagwat said people should never become helpless before circumstances or fate.
“One should not become helpless before circumstances or fate. A person who makes efforts is the one who ultimately succeeds, while the one who runs away from difficulties has already accepted defeat,” he said.
He stressed that adversity should inspire determination rather than despair, saying perseverance remains the defining quality of those who overcome difficult times.
Education Must Build Values Alongside Careers
Bhagwat also said education should extend far beyond preparing young people for employment. While acquiring education to earn a livelihood is important, he said it should never become the ultimate objective.
He emphasised that value-based education is essential because it develops the ability to distinguish between right and wrong. Such values, he said, are shaped not only through textbooks but also through the conduct of teachers and the principles they impart to students.
Referring to the Sindhu Education Society’s 75-year journey, Bhagwat said such milestones provide institutions with an opportunity to review the work they have done, remember the goals with which they were established and assess their contribution to society.
Concluding his address, the RSS chief said the real purpose of education is to create good human beings and nurture a generation committed to the welfare of society. According to him, institutions fulfil their true purpose not merely by producing skilled professionals, but by shaping individuals guided by values, integrity and a sense of responsibility towards the nation and society.