Opinion/ RSS @100 – Looking Back, Looking Ahead

New Delhi: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is a unique organisational model in world. experiment began in 1925 with around a dozen young boys coming toger to play and sing songs with a 35 year old doctor, one of very few at that time in Nagpur. As y played, y learned about patriotism, character building, team building and lessons in brorhood. This programme, in an open ground, was called a ‘shakha (branch)’ of RSS. This is powerhouse of RSS and primary measure of organisation's growth. This has now grown to 71000 daily shakhas, 28000 weekly and about 12000 monthly garings. 

simple idea was to keep some time out of your day every day, beginning with one hour when you don’t think about yourself and your family, but about society. Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar h been rusticated from school for raising slogan of ‘Vande Mataram’ that was banned by British, in front of school inspector. He was not alone but organised all senior students to defy British order. He surrendered to authorities when y could not break unity forged by him and decided to punish all students. He decided to take punishment and not allow ors to suffer. 

‘No Self-Interest or Self-Gratification in Organisation’

From re on his work with revolutionaries through 'Anushilan Samiti' while doing medicine, his work with Congress from 1918 to 1924 and his close relations with Hindu Mahasabha finally convinced him that unless Hindu society is united, reformed, and taught discipline to rise above parochialism, casteism and or divisive acts, it would be difficult to Bharatiyas to throw out British. Even if y were thrown out, unless we h patriotic people of high character with feet firmly in Bharatiya knowledge, only rulers would change and citizens wouldn’t be able to realise ir potential and build a healthy, prosperous society. 

In his organisation, one h to improve oneself, sacrifice for society and spend out of one’s own pocket to serve society. re was to be no self-interest or self-gratification of any kind. Fuelled by se foundational ideas, RSS reached every nook and cranny of Bharat. Over time it created hundreds of organisations, of which 36 are national organisations. 

se national and thousands of regional, district level and local level organisations have been working in every possible social and national dimension. number of herents of this ideology has reached crores. This does not include BJP, political party that is closest to RSS, and working on philosophy of Hindutva. growth that looks so glamorous and impressive has been built on sweat and blood of millions of unknown swayamsevaks over four generations, this being fifth generation of swayamsevaks. Swayamsevak means a self-motivated and self-driven individual.

biggest success of RSS is in changing national discourse from a colonial view of Bharat and world to a Bharat-centric world view, rooted in Bharatiya history, trition and knowledge system. Its success in making Hindutva as central pole of social and political discourse is a huge change in defining Bharat and Bharatiyata. rejection of Idea of India as a newborn nation on 15th August 1947 and acceptance of Bharat as an eternal (Sanatan) geo-cultural nation that is different from Western concept of nation-state is success of Hindutva. 

‘Hindutva Is About Our Innate Cultural Qualities’

Hindutva is not about religion, but about our innate cultural qualities that transcend religions and sects that we reflect in our everyday behaviour, our festivals and our pluralism. se could be termed as Hinduness. Bharatiya idea of a nation is as old as Vedas while Western concept of nation state is hardly 300 years old. So, claim of colonial intellectuals that RSS picked up idea of nation from West is a refusal to look at Bharat’s history.

church riding on shoulders of Colonial powers, especially British, worked hard to play on fault lines of Bharatiya civilisation. Communists followed in ir footsteps. Aryan Invasion ory, Indigenous tribals (mool nivasi) vs ors (or Aryans), exploitation of tribals, Hindu dharma as an exploitative backward orthodox religion, hence conversion as a deliverance, denial of ancient civilisational achievements as that of Hindus, hiding of its great scientific achievements or robbing m of ir roots and showcasing m as achievements of ors are just some of major tools used by m to put down Bharatiya civilisation and to destroy self-respect and self-confidence. 

Years of efforts of RSS through its groundwork and intellectual persistence have slowly unravelled greatness of our civilisation, our dharma and its achievements that are spre out globally. It raised consciousness levels of society. It nurtured an atmosphere that saw blooming of hundreds of intellectuals who projected Bharatiya values and knowledge with solid evidence assertively. 

At ground level, creating social harmony by persuing Hindu society to reform itself is an achievement. Its path has been persuasion, not confrontation. What it has brought in is not Kranti (revolution) but Sankranti (grual change or turnaround) as defined by Swami Vivekananda. Its work in Vanvasi (tribal) areas through Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, reaching out to remotest parts through Ekal Vidyalaya and many such initiatives has brought Schedule Castes and Scheduled Tribes closer to Hindu society and Bharatiya mainstream from which y were cut-off due to neglect and mechanisation of many inimical forces who do not wish to see Bharat realise its ‘Swa’ – selfhood. 

‘RSS Focus On Sewa, Social Harmony’

glimpse of renaissance of Bharat and its possibilities that we see today can be attributed to silent work at grassroots done by RSS. re is a sense of satisfaction in ranks of RSS for what has been achieved. only regret that Dr Hedgewar ji too h expressed is speed at which it has been achieved. Could it be speeded up? re are no easy answers when one ponders over our complex civilisation. One thousand years of slavery, sustained resistance to invers that depleted its strength, and colonisation of our minds through British education system, and our own internal social weaknesses did not, probably, allow velocity to be picked. Now momentum is picking up. 

As RSS expands furr, objectives have been enhanced. With more and more people joining this cultural renaissance, RSS's focus on sewa, social harmony, and environmental rejuvenation has increased. Hence its training methodologies are being revised.

One can, once in a while, feel unhappy that years of work on social harmony can be disturbed easily by negativity spre by left secular forces aided and abetted by an alliance of anti-Bharatiya forces. So, sometimes one feels that it is like ten steps forward and two steps backwards. Anor regret can be lack of legal activism which is much easier than work on ground. I may say that reluctance to project RSS and its allied organisations’ work is a weakness too. However, firm faith in Bharatiyata or Hindutva overcoming such setbacks and weaknesses has kept RSS going and overcoming such odds. 

‘For RSS, Bharat Is A Hindu Rashtra’

RSS has never assumed that it has a monopoly over social reforms and national progress. It is rey to work with or positive movements and organisations for nation and society. It is biggest strength of RSS earned over years of work with such forces, whom RSS defines as ‘Sajjan Shaktis’ or Well-meaning forces. Its reiness to work backstage and let ors take centre stage when required has generated goodwill for it. Those who don’t share a stage anywhere else, are rey to share common stage with RSS and its inspired organisations. It is this coming toger of positive forces that will strengn rise of Bharat. And that is what RSS wants, not its glorification. Hence re are no ‘celebrations’ on completion of 100 years without any splits or weakening, a rarity in Bharat. re is renewed reiness to keep working for nation, taking as many people and organisations as possible and preparing its swayamsevaks for it.

For RSS, Bharat is a Hindu Rashtra. Dr Hedgewar h said way back in 1920s when someone asked in a public meeting, “Which fool says India is a Hindu Rashtra? Dr Hedgewar stood up and proclaimed, “I Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, say that this is Hindu Rashtra.” We just need to recognise our civilisational roots, tritions and knowledge systems and take m as our guiding lights to become a strong prosperous nation and move ahe on world stage.