Chicago, Sep 8: Asserting that Hindus neither oppose anybody nor aspire to dominate, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday said the community needs to unite to end its centuries of sufferings.

Speaking at the 2nd World Hindu Congress here, Bhagwat said the key to unite the world is to control ego and accepting the consensus.

"We do not have any aspects of dominance. Hindus do not live to oppose anybody. We even allow the pests to live. There are people who may oppose us. You have to tackle them without harming them," said Bhagwat addressing delegates from across the globe.

"Why are we suffering for 1000 years? We had everything but we forgot to practise values. We also forgot to work together. Hindu society has largest number of meritorious people in many sectors. But they never come together, stay together.

"Coming together of Hindus itself was a difficult task. Earlier, when our Swayamsevaks would try to organise people, they would say 'a lion never walks in a group', but even that lion or a Royal Bengal tiger who is the king of the jungle... if he is alone, wild dogs together can invade and destroy him...," he said calling upon Hindus to unite.

The 2nd World Hindu Congress is being held on the occasion of 125th Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's historic speech at the Parliament of World Religions in 1893.

Talking about uniting the world, Bhagwat cited the example of Lord Krishna and Yudhisthira from the Mahabharata, who he said never contradicted each other.

"One of the key values to bring the whole world into a team is to have controlled ego and learn to accept the consensus.

"It is time the Hindu society showcased its oneness to the world and went back to its ancient wisdom and values," Bhagwat said.

He said that the negative influence of ego should always be avoided.

"Of all the main characters, Krishna never contradicted Yudhishthir and Yudhishthir never disobeyed Krishna because it is important to work unitedly, keeping your ego aside," he added.

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New Delhi: The All India Football Federation (AIFF) was taken by surprise during its ongoing search for a new head coach for the Indian national football team, when it received an application from none other than former Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez.

According to a report in the Times of India, Xavi’s name was listed among several other applicants, including former India head coach Stephen Constantine and ex-Liverpool player Harry Kewell. What raised eyebrows was that the application had been sent from Xavi’s personal email address. However, the contact number field was left blank, which left AIFF officials unsure about how to proceed.

Confirming the development, AIFF’s National Team Director Subrata Paul told TOI, “It’s correct that Xavi’s name was there. The application was emailed to the AIFF.”

Despite the excitement around such a high-profile name, the AIFF had to reject Xavi’s application due to budgetary limitations. A member of the AIFF's technical committee admitted that while it was flattering to receive Xavi’s interest, it was simply not feasible. “Even if Xavi was genuinely interested in Indian football and could be convinced to take up the job, we would need a lot of money,” the official told TOI.

Xavi had earlier stated in an interview that he closely follows Indian football, largely due to the increasing presence of Spanish coaches in the Indian Super League (ISL).

Xavi Hernandez, a product of FC Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, is widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time. Known for his vision and passing accuracy, he played 767 official matches for Barcelona, forming a formidable midfield trio alongside Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets.

During his playing career at Barcelona, Xavi won five La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey trophies, and three UEFA Champions League titles. After leaving the club in 2015, he joined Al Sadd in Qatar, where he added four more trophies before retiring in 2019. On the international stage, Xavi was a key part of the Spanish national team that won the UEFA Euro titles in 2008 and 2012, and the FIFA World Cup in 2010.

As a coach, Xavi enjoyed notable success with Barcelona as well, leading the team to victory in the 2023 Supercopa de España and the 2022–23 La Liga season.