New Delhi, Dec 22: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said that restoring peace in Manipur would require patience, sustained dialogue and trust-building among communities, asserting that while incidents of violence are gradually declining, healing the deeper social divisions in the state will take much longer.
Speaking after a recent visit to the violence-hit northeastern state, Bhagwat said he had interacted with tribal leaders, social organisations and youth representatives across Manipur.
He described the prevailing situation as largely a law-and-order challenge that is “abating slowly” and could stabilise within about a year. “Bridging the minds is a great task, and it will take time,” Bhagwat said, emphasising that dialogue remains the only viable path to bring the conflicting sides “on one page.
” He added that the foundation for reconciliation already exists among the people. “That can be done, because basically the spirit is already there,” he said. Addressing a programme held as part of the centenary celebrations of the RSS, Bhagwat drew parallels with reconciliation efforts undertaken in other northeastern states.
“We could do it in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya. We are doing it in Nagaland and other places,” he said, expressing confidence that peace would eventually return to Manipur, though he cautioned that the process would “definitely take time.”
The RSS chief also noted that the organisation currently runs around 100 shakhas in Manipur, indicating a sustained presence in the state during the ongoing reconciliation efforts.
Responding to queries on the RSS’s relationship with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bhagwat said the Sangh has consistently maintained organisational distance from political parties.
“We stay very distant from all BJP leaders,” he said, while acknowledging long-standing personal associations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Dismissing speculation about strained ties between the RSS and the BJP leadership, Bhagwat said such narratives should be ignored. The Sangh, he added, does not hide its relationships with any political organisation and remains focused on its broader social and cultural role.
