RSS President Mohan Bhagwat said on Wednesday that Bharat has been a secular nation for 5,000 years.

“Our 5,000-year-old culture is secular… In all ‘tatva gyan’ (knowledge of elements), this is the conclusion. The whole world is one family; this is our feeling. This is not a theory… know it, realise and then behave accordingly,” Bhagwat was quoted as saying by PTI.

“There is so much diversity in the country. Don’t fight with each other. Make your country capable of teaching the world that we are one,” he said, adding that this is the sole purpose of India’s existence.

Bhagwat said seers created Bharat for the welfare of the world. They created a society that passed on their knowledge to the last person in the country, he said.

“They were not ‘sanyasis’ only. They lived the lives of wanderers with their families. All these ‘ghumantoos’ (nomads) are still there, whom the British had declared criminal tribes… They are often seen showcasing their culture in the society, some share ayurvedic knowledge,” the RSS president said.

Bhagwat appealed to people to have devotion, love, and dedication for their motherland. “We consider motherland an essential component of our national unity,” he added.

He was addressing an event organised to launch a book, ‘Prithvi Sookta – An Ode To Mother Earth’, authored by senior RSS functionary Ranga Hari.