'Some Bharatiya people don't know our own languages,' says RSS chief; calls for introspection

NEW DELHI: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday voiced concern over the declining use of Indian languages, saying the trend has reached a stage where “some Bharatiya people do not know our own languages.” He was speaking at a book release event in Nagpur.

Bhagwat urged society to reflect on the diminishing role of mother tongues and linguistic traditions. He said Sanskrit was once the primary medium of daily communication but today the language is often taught by foreign scholars instead of Indians.




“There was a time when entire communication, sharing, daily business was in Sanskrit. Now, some American professor teaches us Sanskrit, when in reality we should have been teaching it to the world. Many children today do not know some very basic and simple words and often speak at home in a mix of their mother tongue and English,” he said.

“The situation has reached a point where some Bharatiya people do not know our own Indian languages,” Bhagwat added.

He said English-medium education was not the sole factor but the hesitation to use Indian languages at home was worsening the problem. “If we speak our language properly in our home, things would be better. But we do not do it,” he said.

Bhagwat observed that even religious leaders often communicate in English, which he said reflects a shift in linguistic choices.

Referring to Sant Dnyaneshwar, he said the saint wrote in Marathi to bring the essence of the Bhagavad Gita closer to the common public. “Now the problem is that there are not enough words in the English language that capture the essence and depth of the thoughts or concepts expressed in our languages. A single word used by Dnyaneshwar often requires multiple English words without fully conveying the intended meaning,” he said.

He cited the example of Kalpavruksha, the mythical wish-fulfilling tree. “How will you translate Kalpavruksha in English?” he asked, adding that such concepts show why Indian languages need to be protected and strengthened.

Bhagwat said Indian traditions emphasise unity and collective well-being. “Where there is faith, we all are an expression of the one,” he said, recalling how a seer once told foreign visitors that the central idea was the existence of the divine and not whether one God or many existed.

He said Indian philosophy teaches people to go beyond individual interests and think of family and society. “This has been told to people in different words and different formats,” he added.

Bhagwat said debates on interpretations of the Bhagavad Gita often miss its larger message. “Like a bird cannot fly without wings, we need two wings – knowledge and karma – and the bird itself is your faith. Knowledge without faith is like (demon king) Ravana,” he said.
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