Peace in Manipur will take time, but dialogue is the only way: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

Restoring peace in Manipur will require patience, sustained dialogue and trust-building among communities, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat said, underlining that while violence is easing, healing deeper divisions will take longer.

Speaking after a recent visit to Manipur, Bhagwat said he had met tribal leaders, social organisations and youth representatives across the state. He described the current situation as largely a law-and-order challenge that is “abating slowly” and could stabilise within about a year.

“But bridging the minds is a great task, and it will take time,” he said, stressing that dialogue is the only path forward to bring the warring sides to “one page”. He added that the groundwork for reconciliation already exists. “That can be done, because basically the spirit is already there.”

Addressing a programme to mark the centenary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Sunday, Bhagwat pointed to similar efforts elsewhere in the Northeast. “We could do it in Arunachal, Meghalaya, we are doing it in Nagaland and other places,” he said, expressing confidence that peace would ultimately prevail in Manipur, though “definitely it will take time”.

He also noted that the RSS runs around 100 shakhas in the state, indicating a sustained organisational presence during the reconciliation process.

On questions about the Sangh’s relationship with the Bharatiya Janata Party, Bhagwat said the RSS has always kept an organisational distance from political parties. “We stay very distant from all BJP leaders,” he said, while adding that the Sangh has long-standing personal ties with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

He dismissed speculation about strained ties, saying such narratives should be ignored. The Sangh, he said, does not conceal its relationships with anyone, including political organisations, and remains focused on its broader social role.