RSS at 100: Introspection and resolve

As the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) completes 100 years of service, it views this milestone not as a celebration but as an opportunity for introspection and rededication. It is also a moment to acknowledge the contributions of visionary leaders and Swayamsevaks who selflessly joined this journey. The birth anniversary of the Sangh founder, Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, coinciding with Varsh Pratipada (the first day of the Hindu calendar), is a fitting occasion to reflect on this century-long journey and resolve for a harmonious and united Bharat.

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Dr Hedgewar was a born patriot. His love for Bharat was evident from his early years. By the time he completed his medical education in Kolkata, he had been exposed to both armed revolution and Satyagraha to free Bharat from the British. Fondly called Doctorji in Sangh circles, he realised that the absence of patriotism, deterioration of collective national character and the lack of discipline in social life were the root causes of foreign domination. He experienced that people had lost the collective memory of our glorious history due to incessant aggressions.

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It was his conviction that mere political activism would not solve the fundamental problems. Hence, he decided to devise a method of consistent efforts to train people to live for the nation. The Shakha method was the outcome of this visionary thinking.

Dr Hedgewar developed a training method for organising the entire society and not creating an organisation within the society. After 100 years, thousands of youth continue to join the path shown by Dr Hedgewar and are ready to dedicate themselves to the national cause. There is a growing acceptance and expectations of society from the Sangh. These are nothing but the signs of approval for Doctorji’s vision.

During the Partition, it was Swayamsevaks who dedicated themselves to the cause of rescuing the Hindu population from Pakistan and resettling them with honour and dignity. The concept of Swayamsevak showed its presence in the fields ranging from education to labour to politics. Everything had to be reorganised in light of the national ethos, for which Sri Guruji (Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar), the second Sarsanghachalak, was the guiding force.

The reformist agenda of the Hindu society gained new momentum when all sects of Bharat declared that any form of discrimination had no Dharmic sanction. Sangh Swayamsevaks played a pivotal role in the fight for restoring democracy through peaceful means when the Constitution was brutally assaulted during the Emergency. The Sangh expanded from the concept of Shakha to engaging in service activity by invoking the righteous power of society and made significant strides.

Movements like Ram Janmabhoomi liberation connected all sections of Bharat. From national security to border management and participatory governance to rural development, no aspect of national life is untouched by Sangh Swayamsevaks.

While there is a tendency to look at everything from the political prism, the Sangh is still focusing on the cultural awakening of society and creating a strong network of right-minded people and organisations. The participation of women in social transformation and restoring the sanctity of family institution has been the focus of the Sangh. Celebrations like the tri-centenary of Lokmata Ahilyabhai Holkar, involving millions, highlight the Sangh’s emphasis on honouring national icons.

The goal of reaching each corner is still an unfulfilled task and is a matter of introspection. The call for panch parivartan – the five-fold programme for transformation — will continue to be the main focus.

In the last hundred years, the Sangh, as a movement of national reconstruction, has travelled from neglect and ridicule to curiosity and acceptance. It does not believe in opposing anyone and is confident that someday, anyone opposing the Sangh will join it. When the world is grappling with multiple challenges, Bharat’s ancient and experiential wisdom is eminently capable of providing solutions. This gigantic but inevitable task is possible when every citizen understands this role and contributes to building a domestic model that inspires others to emulate. Let us join this resolve to present a role model before the world of a harmonious and organised Bharat, taking the entire society together under the leadership of righteous people.

(The writer is the general secretary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh)