Demographic change, infiltration posing challenge to unity: PM at RSS centenary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday identified demographic manipulation, infiltration and import dependence as top national challenges, calling self-reliance a necessity and “swadeshi” a way of life. Citing separatist ideologies, regionalism, disputes over caste and language and divisive tendencies incited by external forces as threats to national unity, the PM said India’s soul had always been rooted in “unity in diversity” and warned against dilution of this foundational value.

“If this principle of unity in diversity is broken, India’s strength will be diminished. We must continuously reinforce it,” he said, hailing the journey of the BJP’s ideological parent Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which turned 100 today.

In the presence of RSS second-in-command Dattatreya Hosabale, the PM released a postal stamp and a Rs 100 coin to commemorate the centenary of the RSS, which will enter its 101st year on Vijayadashmi tomorrow.

From the ruling party's perspective, these commemorations made a strong political point by highlighting the RSS’ contributions to the freedom movement and post-Independence wars, a move that drew criticism from the opposition Left and the Congress.

The CPM termed the release of the stamp and coin an “insult to the Constitution”. In contrast, the PM lauded the RSS’ journey as one dedicated to “nation building”, saying the Sangh and its leaders, despite enduring bans and false cases, never harboured rancour.

“This was possible because of the RSS workers’ deep commitment to democratic values and the Constitution and their sense of oneness with society,” Modi said even as Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh took to X to post Sardar Patel’s 1948 observation that said “the activities of the RSS constituted a clear threat to the existence of the government and the state”.

The PM emphasised the historical relevance of the stamp, saying it depicted RSS volunteers participating in the 1963 Republic Day parade. “The stamp captures a historic moment and the unwavering dedication of RSS workers who continue to serve the nation and empower society,” he said.

The Rs 100 coin features the national emblem on one side and an image of Bharat Mata in Varad Mudra with a lion and uniformed RSS volunteers saluting. The Left parties questioned this imagery, with a CPM Politburo statement calling it “a grave injury and insult to the Constitution” and accusing the RSS of promoting a sectarian concept of a Hindutva Rashtra.

But the PM spoke about RSS founder KB Hedgewar’s imprisonment during the Independence struggle and the organisation’s support for freedom fighters. He also mentioned RSS assistance during the 1962 and 1971 wars and the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

He recounted that the second RSS chief, MS Golwalkar, was falsely implicated and jailed, but responded with composure upon release. “The RSS has always taken the whole society as its own... those who are good are ours, those who are less good are also ours,” Modi said.

Importantly, even in his address today, Hosabale said the Sangh was not opposed to anyone in society and considered everyone its own.

The PM also outlined the RSS’ five pledges -- self-awareness, social harmony, family enlightenment, civic discipline and environmental consciousness -- as vital to making India a developed nation by 2047. He said self-awareness meant breaking free from the shackles of a slave mentality and taking pride in India's heritage.

To cement the RSS’ credentials amid the Opposition’s onslaught, the PM mentioned Mahatma Gandhi’s praise for the organisation's spirit of equality after a visit to a camp in Wardha, former President APJ Abdul Kalam’s astonishment at its service activities and the late President Pranab Mukherjee’s impressions of its discipline and simplicity.