Sangh vows to galvanise Hindus in centenary year

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The ruling BJP's parent organisation, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), on Sunday resolved to organise the Hindu society and finalised a mass contact programme to galvanise people in its centenary year.Starting Vijayadashami — October 2 — the day RSS completes 100 years of existence, the Sangh's one crore cadre will fan out across India to spread the message of "harmony and unity".Comprehensive outreach to one crore households and lakhs of villages and towns; Hindu Samaj Sammelans at bastis and mandals, the lowest level of the RSS organisation; district-level meetings with intelligentsia; and goodwill seminars are part of the plan to mark the centenary of the Sangh from 2025 to 2026.A resolution to this effect was passed today at the conclusion of the three-day meeting of All India Pratinidhi Sabha, the highest decision-making body of the Sangh, in Bengaluru.

Invader mindset dangerous for nation: RSS

Two days after it condemned the Nagpur violence triggered by demands for the removal of Aurangzeb's tomb in Maharashtra's Sambhaji Nagar, the RSS said the Mughal emperor did not fit the "Indian ethos" and existence of people with "invader mindset" was a danger to the country.

The resolution to "Build a Harmonious and Organised Hindu Society for World Peace and Prosperity" and another one seeking global solidarity with the Hindus and minorities of Bangladesh were passed at the key annual meeting of the RSS.

Detailing the outcomes of deliberations that saw presidents of 32 RSS affiliates, including the BJP, in attendance, Sangh general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said the 100-year journey of the RSS had revealed that organising the Hindu society was "difficult but possible".

"Being called a Hindu is now a matter of pride. The acceptance that Hindu is a nationalist, not a religious expression, has grown. That is great for us. Organising the Hindu society was an uphill task due to its diversities but it is possible," Hosabale said.

He said there was a time when Hindus felt diffident in the name of pseudo secularism but now a confident and vibrant Hindu society was emerging.

'Constitution disallows religion-based quota'

When asked about the Karnataka Government decision to give 4% reservation to Muslims in government contracts, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said, "Religion-based reservation is not permissible in the Constitution drafted by Dr BR Ambedkar. Anyone doing so is doing so against Dr Ambedkar's wishes."

The RSS resolution said the Hindu society could fulfil its global responsibility only if it was organised, brimming with confidence and bereft of caste and other discrimination.

"We have to work for internal corrections in the Hindu society, to remove untouchability and improve societal approach towards women," Hosabale said.

The mass contact plan will commence from October 2 with programmes at all mandals (a group of 10 to 20 villages) and bastis (a unit with 10,000 people).

This would seek to consolidate the RSS' recent expansion to one lakh places.

Later a comprehensive outreach to contact maximum villages and households will happen from November to January when the RSS will reach crores of households, lakhs of villages and spread the idea of the Sangh and its work.

"We plan this outreach for three weeks in every state," Hosabale said.

Hindu Samaj Sammelans from the mandal to block-level would form the third pillar of the RSS' national outreach.

"These seminars seek to galvanise the strength of the Hindu society so that it feels confident, united and harmonious," explained the RSS leader.

Also on the anvil are "sadbhav baithaks" (goodwill seminars) to urge everyone to stay united and rise above fault lines.

Expansion, consolidation in focus

The RSS has seen over 14-fold rise in the number of "shakhas" from 6,000 post Emergency in 1977 to over 89,000 today. The number of swayamsevaks has grown from 7 lakh to over 60 lakh.

"One people, one culture is what we propagate," Hosabale said, adding that the idea was to talk about modern living while retaining touch with the roots.

District-level intelligentsia meetings will also be held to discuss national issues followed by Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat's special meetings with intellectuals in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata in the later part of 2026.

Asked what the bottom line of the exercise was, Hosabale said, "Vimarsh ko badalna hai. We have to change the narrative, establish the truth."

Meanwhile, the RSS paid tributes to martyrs Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru and said they came from different states but laid down their lives for the singular cause of freedom of the country. The three were hanged to death by the British government on March 23, 1931, at the Lahore Central Jail, for their alleged involvement in the Lahore conspiracy case.