RANCHI: RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Thursday said the term “nationalism” had acquired a negative connotation in a large part of the world because of its association with Hitler , Nazism and Fascism even as he asserted that India needed to become a great nation to tackle the challenges of radicalism and climate change.“These days, nationalism is not viewed positively,” Bhagwat told a gathering of RSS workers at Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University, recalling his conversation with an RSS worker in the UK who advised him to refrain from using nationalism.“A few years ago, I was on a visit to Britain and having a discussion with a few intellectuals and our functionaries. A karyakarta advised me not to used the word ‘nationalism’ as English is not our language and it takes on a different meaning in England. He said it is okay to say ‘nation’, ‘national’ and ‘nationality’, but not ‘nationalism’ as it alludes to Hitler, Nazism and Fascism (in England),” he said.Bhagwat traced the misgivings about nationalism to the conduct of superpowers globally even as he emphasised India’s distinctness. “Unlike India which has never been inclined to become powerful for its own sake, many other countries, including today’s superpowers, have used their power to seek to become global hegemons. They exploit the resources of the entire world and directly and indirectly use their power to exercise power over the entire world and cast it in their own mould. This happened in the past and is the reality even now. That is why intellectuals in a large part of the world think that a powerful nation spells threat to the world,” he said.The comments of the RSS chief, who is on a five-day tour of Jharkhand, are significant because of the Sangh’s ideology of cultural nationalism. Sangh and its affiliates pride themselves for their “fierce nationalism” and have never been deterred by the accusations of exclusivism or chauvinism.In his address, Bhagwat was all praise for India as the only country with the potential to deal with what he called the twin threats of disruption to world peace — radicalism and climate change. “India alone has the potential to address these issues holistically. The world waits for India, so India has to become a great nation. The aim of RSS is nothing more than uniting Hindu society. It does not mean that Sangh interferes in the federal system of the country. The swayamsevaks are dedicated to their aim. By feeling proud of the culture of our country we have to work to take the country to new heights. We have to make India a world guru," he said.Bhagwat said Sangh founder K B Hedgewar was involved in every movement including social reforms during the freedom struggle. He formed the RSS so that social evils that took hold during 1,500 years of foreign rule could be eradicated and eternally relevant values like selflessness, non-discrimination and equality were established.Calling upon RSS members to connect with people irrespective of their caste, language, religion or region, Bhagwat said India was predisposed to fasten everyone with one thread on the principle of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (the world is a family). “We live for each other, not for ourselves. We believe that the world has made us and we have to give back to it and we look at the world with gratitude,” he said.Former Jharkhand CM Raghubar Das , former urban development and transport minister C P Singh, former MP Ravindra Rai and BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Samir Oraon attended the gathering. Later, Bhagwat held closed door meetings with RSS functionaries of Jharkhand.