New York: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat can use his New York address to move the debate beyond controversy and present the organisation’s work directly to Americans, popular singer Mary Millben has said.
“First of all, welcome to the United States, the RSS Chief,” Millben said in an interview with IANS. “I think a lot of times when these controversies start, we lose the essence of certainly welcoming those to our country.”
Bhagwat is scheduled to address a gathering in New York on August 29. The event, centred on oneness and unity, has generated political debate in the city.
Millben said most Americans outside the Indian American community knew little about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
“You walk down the street in New York or talk to the average American in the United States, and they have no idea what RSS is,” she said.
She acknowledged that the organisation had faced controversies in the past, but said its leadership should use the New York gathering to present its current message.
“I think what’s important for the RSS chief to do and those leaders now is to relay what the message of RSS is today,” Millben said.
“It’s my hope that the RSS chief uses this rally to educate the American people about the positives of RSS, certainly as it pertains to its support of the Hindu community.”
Millben also urged the organisers to involve representatives of other faiths.
“If the title of the rally is about oneness and unity, it’s a great opportunity for them to invite other people that can show the support of an organisation like RSS and its support of the Prime Minister’s message of religious freedom,” she said.
The singer sharply criticised New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani over his remarks surrounding Bhagwat’s visit. She linked his position to his association with the Democratic Socialists of America and described that movement as radical.
“I expect him to be in opposition to anything coming over from India that is pro-democracy, that is pro-religious freedom, and that is certainly pro-Prime Minister Modi,” Millben said.
She argued that Mamdani’s comments were aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his political affiliation rather than Bhagwat alone.
“They were not necessarily directed towards the RSS chief; they were directed towards Prime Minister Modi and what the Prime Minister represents in the context of India, religious freedom,” she said.
Millben described Mamdani as a talented politician but said he had been “misguided” by forces within his party.
“He’s a talented young man. He’s just misguided, and he’s in the wrong hands within his own party,” she said. “If Mamdani was in the right hands in the Democratic Party, if he had a better understanding of the way the world works and the way America works, the way New York works, then I think that he could have a great future.”
Millben said Bhagwat should use the event to move the discussion away from political confrontation.
“I think that this event has a great opportunity to silence the noise of people like Mamdani and others,” she said. “And I hope that the RSS chief and those leaders take advantage of that.”
The RSS was founded in 1925 and describes itself as a volunteer-based cultural organisation. Bhagwat has served as its Sarsanghchalak, or chief, since 2009. The organisation has played an influential role in India’s broader Hindu nationalist movement.
Millben is known in India for her renditions of the national anthem, “Jana Gana Mana”, and the devotional hymn “Om Jai Jagdish Hare”. She has performed at several events connected with India and the Indian diaspora in the United States.
(IANS)
