More than five decades ago, M.S. Golwalkar, then Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), spoke at length about Hindu-Muslim relations, religious freedom, national identity, minority rights, history and the idea of Indianisation.
The interview, conducted in 1971 by Dr. Saifuddin Jeelani, an Iranian journalist and Arabic scholar, has been republished by Organiser from its archives. The historical interview is notable because the questions directly addressed some of the issues that continue to feature in India's political and social debates.
‘I do not distinguish between Hindus and Muslims’ in national work
Asked about finding a solution to the Hindu-Muslim question at a time when India faced multiple challenges, Golwalkar said that, as far as work for the country was concerned, he did not distinguish between Hindus and Muslims.
He attributed part of the problem to political competition and the pursuit of community-specific claims. His argument was that people should approach national questions from a broader patriotic perspective rather than primarily through community interests.
At the same time, his response to questions about Muslim political demands included strong criticism of what he regarded as communal or separatist politics. These remarks reflect the political context and debates of the period in which the interview was conducted.
Religion and the right to follow one's own path
One of the more significant portions of the interview deals with religious freedom. Golwalkar argued that a Muslim was entitled to follow Islam just as a Hindu was entitled to follow Hinduism. He used an example involving the former Shankaracharya of Sringeri, who, according to his account, advised a Christian seeking conversion to first practise his own faith sincerely.
He described this approach as consistent with what he called a non-proselytising Hindu tradition and expressed opposition to religious conversion motivated by political or other gains. He also presented a philosophical argument for religious coexistence: different communities could follow their own religious paths while recognising what he described as a common ultimate reality.
‘Respect, not merely tolerate’
Asked how Hindu-Muslim tensions could be reduced, Golwalkar identified several areas of friction, including the contentious issue of cow slaughter. But his broader prescription was mutual respect between communities.
In one of the interview's most frequently cited passages, he argued that people should respect, rather than merely tolerate, other faiths. He described this approach using the Sanskrit expression ‘Sammaanatavaad’, contrasting it with mere tolerance.
He also referred to participation in one another's festivals and social practices as a possible way of building greater understanding.
Who should lead efforts for communal harmony?
Golwalkar was particularly critical of politicians when asked who was best positioned to promote Hindu-Muslim harmony.
He argued that politicians often had an incentive to divide people along caste and communal lines. He also expressed reservations about some religious leaders whom he considered narrow-minded.
Instead, he called for people who were religious in spirit but non-political, and who possessed what he described as an integrated national outlook. His answer placed the responsibility for social harmony beyond electoral politics and emphasised education, character and a broader national outlook.
His prescription: education and history
Golwalkar proposed mass education about religion and history as another way of addressing communal tensions. He argued that people should learn about both Hinduism and Islam and that history should be taught without what he regarded as distortions.
His comments on medieval history were strongly framed from his interpretation of historical conflicts between Hindu and Muslim communities. He argued that historical aggression should be acknowledged while distinguishing medieval rulers and conflicts from Indian Muslims living in the present.
This part of the interview is particularly relevant to contemporary debates over history textbooks, historical memory and the relationship between present-day citizens and the actions of past rulers.
What did ‘Indianisation’ mean to Golwalkar?
Another important question concerned the term ‘Indianisation’, a phrase associated at the time with the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Golwalkar rejected the interpretation that Indianisation meant converting everyone into Hindus.
Instead, he described it as recognising that people living in India shared the same land, common ancestry and common national aspirations. This explanation provides an important historical window into how Golwalkar himself described the concept in 1971.
A common philosophical ground
The interviewer also raised the possibility of Hindus and Muslims coming together because both communities believe in God. Golwalkar's response went beyond simply asking communities to adopt the same religious belief. He argued that people could continue following their own religions while recognising a broader philosophical idea of an ultimate reality.
He used Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist and Jain traditions to illustrate the difficulty of imposing one single theological formulation on everyone. His proposed common ground was therefore philosophical rather than a demand that everyone adopt one particular religion.
Willingness to meet Muslim leaders
Towards the end of the interview, Jeelani asked whether Golwalkar would meet Muslim Indian leaders willing to work towards reducing communal discord. His response was unequivocal: he said he would not merely agree to such a meeting but welcomed it.
Why this 1971 interview matters today
The significance of the interview lies not in treating a 55-year-old conversation as a statement of current RSS policy, but in examining how one of the organisation's most influential early leaders articulated his views on national identity, religion and Hindu-Muslim relations at a particular point in India's history.
The interview contains both conciliatory arguments; such as religious freedom, mutual respect and dialogue; and positions on minority politics, history, conversion and national identity that remain subjects of debate.
Reading the complete interview in its historical context allows readers to distinguish between Golwalkar's own words in 1971, the political circumstances of that period, and the positions of the RSS or other political organisations today.
Note: The above article revisits an interview given by former RSS Sarsanghchalak M.S. Golwalkar in 1971. The views expressed are those recorded in the historical interview and should not automatically be interpreted as the present-day position of the RSS.
Source: Organiser Archives, interview dated February 27, 1971, republished August 26, 2026.
Read the original archival interview: Organiser — M.S. Golwalkar Interview with Dr Saifuddin Jeelani
Keywords
M.S. Golwalkar 1971 interview, Hindu-Muslim relations, Saifuddin Jeelani, RSS history, Indianisation, political history India, Citizen News Puttur