The RSS, a socio-cultural organization, was established 100 years ago, on September 27, 1925, during the auspicious festival of Vijayadashami, by Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in Nagpur Maharashtra. Today, despite achieving this landmark, the RSS continues to be a positive organization characterized by youth, energy, enthusiasm and action, and exercises its wonderful activities of character-building, national awakening, and service to society, all in a wholesome manner. This great organization can be considered a positive organization participating in nation-building, character-building activities and contributing to a national awakening and the Hindu renaissance, despite being 100 years old; thus it can be said that RSS is working in a non-partisan way to make Hindu society casteless and classless, in which, in that effort, we could say that the RSS is even fulfilling the vision of our great freedom fighter like Savarkar itself.
The RSS has maintained a sense of freshness, activity, vigor, and youthfulness through its 100 years of operation, contributing to the service to society. It is patently available and ready to respond to society, and its initiative to promote national awakening and unity has never been outdone by anybody in society. The RSS is dedicated to the national cultural awakening and national unity, and it is always to be found at the forefront of instilling nationalism, patriotism, and cultural nationalism in the society. It can at least be said to be young even at 100 years of age. The RSS has historically even engaged in the past at the times of war with Pakistan and its workers have volunteered during wars for service to the army and have worked and have served society, while also controlling traffic and the law and order when the security forces and police were executing their duties to secure the country from national crisis during the time of war.
The initial impetus of this organization was to provide character training and instill "Hindu discipline" in order to unite the Hindu community and works in the direction of establishing Hindu Rashtra which is an eyesore for congress, all so called secular parties and the minorities. This organization aims to spread the ideology of Hindutva to strengthen the Hindu community and promotes an ideal of upholding an Indian culture and its civilizational values. RSS has been described as founded on the premise of Hindu supremacy and has been and is being accused of intolerance of minorities. This accusation against RSS is not based on merit and is false and wrong. RSS has all along remained in forefront of providing financial and physical support to the society at the times of floods and other national exigencies and in relief and rehabilitation it does not differentiate among people on the basis of religion and faith and so it serves all irrespective of their religious affiliations. RSS has provided services to the countrymen at the time of war with Pakistan and China. It has also supported the society at the time of Kargil incursion and at the time of national emergency. It will not be inappropriate to say that at the times of war and national exigency and national emergency ,it provides services to the society without any bias and discrimination.
RSS is always working at the times of natural disasters like floods, earthquake and fires. After independence, it grew into an influential Hindu nationalist umbrella organization ,spawning several affiliated bodies that established numerous schools, charities, hospitals and formed clubs to spread its ideological base. It was banned for 4 days in 1947 and then thrice by the post-independence Indian government. RSS was banned several times in its history of 100 years. It was banned in 1947 for just four days and then thrice by the Congress government.RSS was first banned in 1948 when Nathuram Godse a member of RSS had assassinated Gandhiji, then during the Emergency - 1975-1977, and for a third time after the demolition of disputed structure at Ayodhya in 1992.In 21st century ,it is the world’s largest far-right organization by membership. It has wrongly criticized as an extremist organization. When RSS is completing the 100th year of its service to nation, there is natural curiosity about the monumental tasks and service it has been performing towards the character building, cultural awakening and national unity and lastly the Hindu unity in the country. When the Sangh has completed its hundredth year of its existence and service to the society and nation, it is crystal clear that for RSS, it is not the occasion for celebration, but an eve and opportunity of introspection and self analysis to unearth the limitations and to throw light on where the RSS has erred if any and so 100 year is not the moment for celebrations but of stock taking and finding faults so that in future the organization will serve the society and nation with more dedication and renewed energy and to rededicate to the lofty cause of service to the nation.
It is also an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of the towering personalities/volunteers who guided the movement and the Swayamsevaks and their families who selflessly worked for the movement and national cause of cultural nationalism and unity in the Hindu community as well as for Hindu renaissance. The birth anniversary of the founder of RSS Dr. Hedgewar which falls on Hindu new year day is the opportune time to revisit the journey of 100 years to resolve for the future of harmonious and united Bharat for the world harmony, peace and prosperity in accordance with the sanatan doctrine of Vasudavekutumbkam—one world family or the concept that whole world is but a single family. Dr. Hedgewar was a born patriot and the flame of patriotism was burning in his life and he conceived the noble plan of setting an organization which will work for inculcating nationalism, patriotism, national awakening and for this it was basic requisite to form the character of young Indians men and women so that discipline in Hindu community is ensured so that the people will contribute to cultural nationalism and will also dedicate themselves to the cause of serving the nation. Therefore collective national character is the prime need both in the past and present time so that people will rededicate themselves to the noble cause of serving to the nation.
Dr. Headgewar understood that it was necessary to come up with a method of sustained effort to educate people (i.e., persuade and influence them) to live for the nation. So, he established the method of Shakhas to create an atmosphere of discipline and foster the flame of patriotism and nationalism, so that people were trained to do that (i.e., live for the nation). In summary, it can be stated that the RSS has always remained at the service of the nation and the RSS is giving a selfless service to the nation and society. PM Modi has rightly commented that the RSS is a banyan tree of India's immortal culture and modernity, whose ideals and principles are to protect national conscience. He further drew a parallel between the RSS and the Vatvruksh and is not an ordinary one. He stated that RSS is without comparison and is an ideal of service.
(Vivek Koul)
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