A mural in the new Parliament building depicting the influence of ancient Indian thought in its immediate neighbourhood went viral on social media on Sunday with many claiming it represents the notion of an Akhand Bharat, a "cultural concept" of the RSS. According to the RSS, Akhand Bharat refers to undivided India whose geographical expanse was very wide and included present-day Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.
Important kingdoms of the past
Incidentally, the mural in the new Parliament building marks important kingdoms and cities of the past and shows the influence of ancient India in Taxila, in present-day Pakistan. "The resolve is clear – Akhand Bharat," Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Twitter.
However, the RSS of late has revised its notion of Akhand Bharat; it feels that in the present times, the belief should be seen in the cultural context and not political given the partition of India on religious lines at the time of Independence.
