RSS turns 100
As Bharat celebrated 100 years of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Vijayadashami 2025, the moment invites both reflection and pride. In a world where civilizational identities are often under siege—through ideological attacks, cultural erasure, or misrepresentation—the RSS stands tall. Over the past century, it has been a bulwark of Sanatan Dharma, a custodian of Bharat’s cultural continuity, and an unmatched force of selfless service to society.
Founded in 1925 by Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the Sangh was never intended to be just another social organization. It was envisioned as a civilizational movement—an awakening of Hindu society, grounded in Dharma and seva, to face the challenges of modernity without losing its roots.
Restoring confidence in a broken civilization
After centuries of foreign rule, first under Islamic invaders and then under the British Raj, Bharat had lost much of its self-confidence. Its culture was mocked, its history distorted, and its people divided. The Partition of 1947, which tore apart the motherland, was the culmination of that erosion, aided by political compromises and the misplaced priorities of leaders like Gandhi and Nehru.
In this environment of despair, the RSS rekindled pride in Dharma and instilled discipline, unity, and national consciousness among ordinary people. It reminded society that Bharat was not merely a political entity but a living civilization with Sanatan Dharma at its core.
For me, this story is personal. My association with the Sangh is both inherited and chosen. My father’s guidance, deeply rooted in the philosophy of RSS, gave me an unshakable belief in its mission. Though I am not as active today as I was in my youth, the values I imbibed remain etched in me and guide my life—even in my adopted home of America.
Preserving Sanatan Dharma
At its core, the RSS is a movement to safeguard and perpetuate Sanatan Dharma’s eternal values—truth, compassion, discipline, harmony, and unity. Dharma has always been Bharat’s guiding light, yet colonialism, aggressive conversion campaigns, and cultural distortions sought to weaken it.
Through daily shakhas, the gatherings of physical exercise, intellectual dialogue, and cultural discipline, RSS cultivated generations of swayamsevaks who internalized these Dharmic values. The shakha is not just a meeting ground but a seedbed of character, commitment, and seva. This quiet but consistent discipline may well be the Sangh’s most enduring contribution to Bharat and, through the diaspora, to the world.
Seva: Service to humanity
RSS is often misunderstood as political, but in reality, seva is its heartbeat. Its record of relief work, whether during floods, earthquakes, cyclones, or pandemics, is unparalleled. Without fanfare, swayamsevaks rush to the remotest corners to help, often risking their lives.
This seva is not charity but Dharma in action: Nar sewa, Narayan sewa—service to humanity is service to God. During the COVID-19 pandemic, RSS volunteers organized food, medical aid, and even cremation services for families abandoned in grief. Such work rarely made headlines but embodied the Sangh’s century-old ethic of putting society before self.
Safeguarding culture and civilization
In its hundred-year journey, RSS has been the foremost custodian of Bharat’s cultural soul. It has celebrated forgotten heroes, resisted historical distortions, and kept alive the festivals, traditions, and values that bind Hindus across regions.
Institutions inspired by RSS, Vidya Bharati in education, Sanskar Bharati in arts, Vishwa Hindu Parishad in cultural outreach, and Seva Bharati in grassroots service, testify to its breadth of vision. The Sangh has never sought homogenization but has upheld Bharat’s civilizational principle of “unity in diversity,” rooted in Dharma.
Global footprint: RSS beyond Bharat
A century later, the Sangh’s vision has gone global. Through the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), its philosophy of Dharma, discipline, and seva now spans over 40 countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and across Africa.
In America, where I now live, I have seen HSS play a vital role in preserving Hindu identity among the diaspora. Through shakhas, Balagokulams for children, youth leadership programs, and interfaith outreach, HSS has given the second generation of Hindus both cultural roots and civic responsibility. In a world of increasing misrepresentation of Hinduism, this global presence has become both a shield and a beacon.
Selfless service to the nation
From the freedom struggle to nation-building after independence, swayamsevaks have tirelessly contributed to Bharat. While the organization itself avoided direct political confrontation under colonial rule, individual swayamsevaks participated in the Quit India Movement and later in Partition relief.
Over the decades, many swayamsevaks rose to leadership roles in politics, education, business, and public life, always carrying the discipline and humility nurtured in shakhas. The rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party, evolving from the Jana Sangh, is often credited to the RSS. Yet reducing RSS to electoral politics is simplistic. Its real achievement has been in shaping committed individuals who see politics as an instrument of seva and Dharma. Today, leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh embody this continuity of Sangh values in governance.
Personal reflections
For me, RSS is not merely an organization; it is a way of life. Though I may not attend shakhas regularly today, the principles remain alive within me: faith in Sanatan Dharma, discipline in daily conduct, and love for Bharat Mata. These ideals are not theoretical; they shape how one engages with family, community, and society. My RSS roots of seva inspired me to co-found an NGO, Vidya Gyan, to serve Bharat Mata in modest ways.
The centenary is a reminder that RSS is not about personalities but about a collective vision. Dr. Hedgewar and Guruji Golwalkar built the framework, but today millions of nameless swayamsevaks, through sweat, sacrifice, and silence, have kept it alive.
Conclusion
As RSS completes 100 years, its contributions are evident: preserving Dharma, serving humanity, safeguarding culture, nurturing leadership, and inspiring a global Hindu identity. The Sangh is not without critics, but it has endured because it is rooted in eternal values and reflects Bharat’s civilizational spirit.
For those of us who remain aligned with its philosophy, the call of the next century is clear: to live by its ideals—in Bharat and abroad—with unwavering commitment to Dharma, Seva, Truth, and Rashtra. The centenary is not merely a celebration of the past; it is a call to renew our pledge for the future.
Note:
1. Text in Blue points to additional data on the topic.
2. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of PGurus.
3. The author acknowledges the use of ChatGPT in researching topics and the meaningful improvement of content.
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Formerly, a researcher in Italy, Japan, and France, he has widely travelled and came to the US in 1978. He was a faculty and academic administrator in several different universities in PA, TX, NJ, MN, WI, and NY, and an Executive Fellow in the White House S&T Policy during the Clinton administration.
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