RSS was founded by Dr K B Hedgewar who was a fiery patriot who dreamt of freeing India from colonial slavery since his young school days. / RSS

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), or National Volunteers Core, enters 100 years of its foundation this year. In the Indian context, surviving and thriving for a century without splits or decay is an achievement in itself. It would be a good idea to take an overview of the largest social organization in India, probably in the world, to see what motivates such an organization and what impact it has and can have on India, that is, Bharat, and probably also the world. 

RSS was founded by Dr K B Hedgewar who was a fiery patriot who dreamt of freeing India from colonial slavery since his young school days. Having worked with revolutionaries and later with the Indian National Congress, faced two jail terms, and watched with dismay the horrific violence by Islamists against Hindus in the name of restoration of the Caliphate in Turkey, Dr Hedgewar pondered over the causes of slavery of a Hindu nation despite being the richest economy and splendorous civilization for thousands of years before being enslaved by Turks, Islamic and later British forces. He realized that disunity of Hindus, divisive issues like caste, language, regionalism and various religious denominations was the prime cause of this downfall. He decided to work towards removing these fault lines in Hindu society. 

RSS was formed to organize Hindu society as an egalitarian society that will be united, l strive to create harmony by removing the causes of disunity, create persons of strong character selflessly dedicated to the upliftment of society and freedom, be proud of Bharatiya civilization and strive to build a prosperous nation with all-round progress, not limited to material well-being. There were no rewards; all the activities were carried out by spending out of one's pocket for any activity. He said that since weakness is in the Hindu society, it must take the onus to remove them. Therefore, this organization was for the Hindus, not against any other community.

RSS at Ockhi Cyclone in Tamil Nadu. / RSS

Progressive evolution of idea behind RSS

We need to see what impact RSS created in 100 years towards its proclaimed mission. As the organization matured and expanded, many trained volunteers decided to branch out to different dimensions of social life. In 1948, the largest student organization, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), was born and became the biggest student organization that advocated student causes and offered solutions. Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (VKA) was born in 1951 for the development of the Tribal people of India. Today, this organization is in every district with a tribal population. It works for education, honing skills in sports, establishing micro businesses for economic upliftment, and setting up Women Self Help Groups. 

Bharatiya Jan Sangh, the forerunner of the largest political party in the world, was established in 1951 by Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee, where RSS's contribution was to provide some of the best political leaders. Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), a trade union, was founded in the 1950s and was very different from the ideology and principles of Socialism and Communism. Its reference point was Indian. It believed that the owner of a business and industry was not an adversary, but labour, too, was a partner to an industry. So, they would struggle for their right but not destroy any property. After decades of struggle, it became the largest trade union in India. RSS volunteers, inspired by its dream of all-round development of the nation, also founded organizations in the education field, cooperatives, health and so on. 

Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) was formed in 1964, that gave the revolutionary slogan for an orthodox society, approved by saints, sadhus, heads of various sects, and dharma gurus, that all Hindus are children of the same Mother Earth, hence brothers, and no Hindu is low or high, thus there is no untouchable.  The latest in this list are one-teacher schools in remote areas called Ekal Vidyalayas and an organization called Saksham to help physically and intellectually challenged people. There are 38 nation-level organizations and more than 120 thousand sewa (social service) projects in Bharat. 

There were many manifestations of RSS's impact on the socio-political affairs of India. Its protection of Hindus and Sikhs from Punjab, Sindh, and Bengal saved hundreds of thousands of lives, and it worked tirelessly for their rehabilitation. It fought shoulder to shoulder with Dogra and the Indian Army to fight off the Pakistani army, wrongly called tribal rebels and saved Kashmir from going under Pakistan. This was done at a huge cost to the lives, businesses and families of RSS volunteers. It agitated for restoring Ram Mandir and Ram Setu (wrongly named Adam's Bridge), an important ecologically fragile sea bed and coral reef. The biggest contribution was the struggle against the dictatorial Emergency, which successfully culminated in the defeat of the ruling party and the restoration of the democratic structure of India. 

In the area of the historical narrative of Indian nationhood, the inspired organization, Itihas Sankalan Samiti, under Padmashri D S Wakankar, an eminent archaeologist, led to the discovery of River Saraswati, burying the fake theory of Aryan Invasion Theory propounded by Western and their brown slaver, leftist historians. 

RSS at Uttrakhand Flood Relief 2013. / RSS

Future vision 

In the centenary year, RSS has launched an ambitious program based on a five-point agenda:

Social harmony, through practical, simple solutions by people-to-people contacts to promote a casteless, harmonious society

Family is the most critical unit of society. It helps rear healthy children, healthy husband-wife relationships, and caring for family elders. The family is an anchor that provides psychological support and reduces the chances of substance abuse.

Promote conservation of climate change, beginning with changes in our own behaviour, such as refusing to use single-use plastic, minimizing waste, and reducing the use of water, electricity, and fuel. Plant trees and plant fruit and vegetable plants in their backyards and terraces. 

Rural development with stress on self-reliance and use of indigenous resources.

We cannot leave everything to the government and only talk of rights. As citizens, everyone must follow civic rules, respect the Constitution and respect the law. This will help create a peaceful and calm society. 

RSS volunteers (Swayamsevaks) have been asked first to implement these ideas at home and then propagate them to their neighbourhoods and villages. When taken by 1.4 billion people, small steps can make a huge impact. We cannot leave this to governments. Change begins with the self. 

Why Hindu philosophy is important for a better world

Hindu dharma's commitment to the philosophy of inclusivity, giving respect to all faiths and religions alone, can bring peace to the world. The urge to change people to certain viewpoints and ideologies has led to major conflicts and billions of deaths even in the last century. The Hindu belief in all paths leading to the same supreme truth and treating the world as a global family, not a market to exploit others, can reduce conflicts and restore peace. The Hindu worldview of respect for nature as an integral part of our existence, not to be exploited mercilessly for our own luxuries, has created global crises. This thought is different from saving nature for our self-interest. Thus, Hindu philosophy is the need of the hour. 

RSS has worked for 100 years to preserve and nurture this philosophy. Hindu thought and society, the originators of this philosophy, must be energetic and united to spread this golden message to humanity.

Dr Ratan Sharda is author and expert. He is popularly invited on TV shows to participate in debates on Indian socio-political situations. He has authored 10 books. He has a PhD on RSS.

(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of New India Abroad)