Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) president Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday expressed optimism that peace would eventually return to Manipur, while acknowledging that resolving disputes between warring factions in the ethnically divided state would take time.

Bhagwat, who recently visited Manipur, said he had interacted with young delegates as well as tribal and social leaders during his visit.

He noted that the prevailing disturbances, largely related to law and order issues, are gradually subsiding and could be resolved within about a year.

“Bridging the minds is a great task, and it will take time,” Bhagwat said, emphasising that dialogue is the only way forward to bring the conflicting sides “on one page.” He added that the spirit for reconciliation already exists among the people.

The RSS chief was speaking at a programme organised to mark the centenary celebrations of the Sangh. Drawing parallels with other northeastern states, he said similar efforts had borne fruit in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya, and are ongoing in Nagaland and elsewhere.

Bhagwat also informed that the RSS currently operates around 100 shakhas in Manipur. Reiterating his belief that peace will prevail in the state, he said, “But definitely it will take time.”

Responding to a question on the RSS’s relationship with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership, Bhagwat said the Sangh has always maintained a distance from political parties. “We stay very distant from all BJP leaders,” he said, adding that the organisation has longstanding associations with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

He dismissed narratives suggesting strained ties between the RSS and BJP leadership, stating that the Sangh does not conceal its relationships with any political organisation.