Sunday, January 22 2006 11:47 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: In a marked departure from its rigid ideological position, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has said 'everything was changeable' about it except its concept of India as a Hindu nation, and that its volunteers were free to join any political party.

In an interview to RSS mouthpiece 'Panchjanya', Sangh's influential General Secretary Mohan Bhagwat said it did not differentiate between Sourav Ganguly and Irfan Pathan and viewed President A P J Abdul Kalam as a 'fellow traveller'.

"The RSS volunteer has full freedom to experiment in the interest of work. Balasaheb (former RSS Chief Deoras) was once asked what is changeable and unchangeable in the Sangh and his response was apart from India being a Hindu nation, everything was changeable," Bhagwat said.

"We consider as 'Hindu force' or 'Human force' all those who work for the welfare of society and the nation with credibility, without getting into intricacies of Hindu and Western values...President A P J Abdul Kalam also comes in the category of those whom we consider as our fellow travellers," he said adding the RSS did not mind such forces being called 'Bharatiya' instead of 'Hindu'.

Asked whether both Pathan and Ganguly were equal to RSS, he said, "Why should we differentiate? Both belong to us. If any person earns his livelihood in conformity with values of sports, plays for the country, with credibility and not just for his image or self-interest but for the joy of playing with sporting spirit, then he belongs to us."

To a question whether RSS volunteers were free to join any political party, he said, "Yes. We are not into politics, nor do we have any share in it. We say what we feel is in national interest and we convey it to all."