Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale rejected allegations of Hindu supremacism and talked about India’s global image during an interaction at the Hudson Institute in Washington DC on Thursday (local time).Speaking about the functioning of the RSS, Hosabale said, “RSS is a people’s voluntary movement inspired by the cultural ethos and civilizational values ​​of the ancient society of India, commonly known as Hindu culture… To groom volunteers with character, self-confidence, spirit of service to the community and to mobilize the society, the RSS organizes daily sabhas and weekly sabhas for one hour.“He further said, “Through these one-hour gatherings, we inculcate values ​​of life… to create human social capital for the purpose of betterment of society and unity of the nation… RSS provides services like relief activities during natural calamities… RSS volunteers have created civic institutions numbering around 40.”Clarifying the organization’s view on identity, he said, “In the RSS view, Hindu identity is a civilizational identity, not a religious one… The RSS has always emphasized cultural ethos and civilizational values, which have nothing to do directly with any religion.”Responding to claims of the RSS being a Hindu supremacist organisation, he said, “Hindu philosophy and culture is not always supremacist… We see unity in everyone, be it a living thing or a non-living thing. When this is the basic philosophy of Hindus, the supremacist nature of Hindus cannot be there.” In history, Hindus never invaded any country or enslaved anyone. Hindus have nothing to apologize for.”Hosabale also talked about the global perception of India, saying, “America’s misconception is not just about the RSS… America’s misconception about India is that it is overpopulated, full of slums, poverty and it is a land of snakes, slums and lords. India is also a tech hub… India is the fourth largest economy in the world.”He further said, “These things have somehow been lost in the general American perception. The narrative that has been created about the RSS too, knowingly or unknowingly or as part of an agenda, is that the RSS is a Hindu supremacist and in a way is anti-Christian, anti-minority, anti-women’s development and anti-modernization. What it stands for is not always conveyed.”On regional tensions and dialogue, Hosabale said, “There have been tensions from time to time due to political interests, misinterpretation of history and other mechanisms. The RSS believes that continued and wide-ranging dialogue with all these groups will certainly help in removing misunderstandings… The RSS is engaged in such dialogue with a group of minorities and their leadership.He further said, “The tension between the neighboring countries is due to various reasons, due to the political leadership of the neighboring countries. Reciprocity and trust have been damaged many times in the last decades… The problem is only with a neighboring country, which is born from the womb of India. It has become a neighboring country, but many people are behind that country to create problems.”“