RSS @100 : A Century of Seva, Discipline, and Civilizational Nation-Building

RSS Turns 100

If you look at a giant banyan tree, you notice the shade, the wide branches, the birds resting on it. What you don’t notice are the roots underground which are strong, spreading quietly, holding everything together.

For 100 years, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has been like those roots for Bharat. It works silently, steadily, giving strength to society. What started in Nagpur in 1925 with just a handful of people is today the world’s largest volunteer organization, with over 60,000 daily shakhas in India and a presence in more than 150 countries.

This centenary year is not just about remembering the past. It is about recognising how an idea, born in tough times, continues to shape our nation and inspire the world.

The Vision

When Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar founded the RSS, India was under British rule. Society was divided by caste, by region, by fear. Hedgewar Ji believed that before politics, we needed character. His motto was simple: “Take people as they are, and shape them into what they should be.”

He introduced the daily shakha: one hour of physical drills, simple games, group prayer, and short discussions. It was not about power. It was about discipline, brotherhood, and pride in being Indian.

The RSS faced many challenges. It was banned after Gandhiji’s assassination in 1948, again during the Emergency in 1975, and in the 1990s. But each time, it bounced back stronger. Why? Because its strength never depended on money, leaders, or slogans. Its strength came from ordinary swayamsevaks who stayed committed to service.

Philosophy of the Sangh

People often mistake the RSS as only a group of drills and uniforms. In truth, it stands on some powerful ideas that are very relevant even today.

Antyodaya - The Last Person First

For the RSS, progress is measured by how the poorest, weakest, and most ignored citizen lives. This is the principle of Antyodaya is basically uplift the last person in the line. No society can call itself developed if even one person is left behind.

Integral Humanism - Balance in Life

In 1965, Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya gave a philosophy called Integral Humanism (Ekatma Manav Darshan). He said human beings are not just bodies that need food or minds that need jobs. We are complete only when our body, mind, intellect, and soul are in balance.

This philosophy rejected both capitalism (focused only on money) and communism (focused only on conflict). Instead, it gave an Indian alternative, development rooted in culture, ethics, and self-reliance.

Seva Parmo Dharma – Service as Duty

For all swayamsevaks, service is not charity. It is duty. Whether it is helping during floods, teaching in slums, or running a blood donation camp. Seva is treated as worship of the nation.

And tying it all together is one line: Rashtra Pratham - Nation First.

How RSS Works

Shakha - The School of Life

Every morning or evening, lakhs of people gather in open grounds for a shakha. For one hour, they exercise, play games, discuss values, and sing patriotic songs. It looks simple, but it builds:

• Fitness of body through drills and yoga

• Clarity of mind through short talks and stories

• Equality by standing together, beyond caste or class

• Habit of service through small tasks and teamwork

There is no membership form or fee. Anyone who comes even once to a shakha becomes a swayamsevak.

Pracharaks – Life Dedicated to Service

One of the most unique aspects of RSS is the pracharak system. Pracharaks are full-time volunteers who dedicate their entire lives to social work. They often remain unmarried, live very simply, and go wherever the Sangh sends them.

They are the backbone of RSS expansion. Quietly, without media or glamour, they build shakhas, mentor youths, and nurture leadership.

A Simple, Strong Structure

The Sangh is disciplined but not authoritarian. It has a guiding leader called the Sarsanghchalak, elected bodies for decisions, and lakhs of local workers. Leadership changes have been smooth, and the focus has always been on the mission, not personalities.

From Shakha to Leadership

The RSS has been a training ground for many leaders who shaped India.

• Narendra Modi began as a swayamsevak and pracharak. His discipline, simplicity, and nation-first thinking are clear RSS values.

• Devendra Fadnavis, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, was a bal swayamsevak in Nagpur. His clean image and administrative skill reflect his early training.

• Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L.K. Advani, and countless social reformers like Nanaji Deshmukh (who worked for rural development) and Eknath Ranade (who built the Vivekananda Rock Memorial) were all shaped by the Sangh spirit.

The point is simple: the Sangh doesn’t just create politicians. It creates citizens with character.

Misunderstood Statement: "RSS will Stop when Every Citizen becomes a Swayamsevak”

One line often quoted is: “RSS will stop when every Indian becomes a swayamsevak.” Critics say this sounds like a wish for domination. But the real meaning is very different.

It means: when every Indian lives with discipline, service, love for the nation, and dharmic values, there will be no need for the RSS. Just like a potter stops once every clay pot is strong and useful, the Sangh’s ultimate success would be to make itself unnecessary.

Seva in Action

The real face of RSS is most visible in times of crisis.

• During Partition, swayamsevaks helped lakhs of refugees.

• During the Gujarat earthquake and floods in Uttarakhand, Kerala, and Punjab, they were among the first to arrive.

• During COVID-19, they set up care centres, distributed oxygen and food, and performed last rites with dignity for those who had no one.

Through institutions like Sewa Bharati (which runs 35,000+ social projects), Vidya Bharati (12,000+ schools across India), and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram (working in 50,000+ tribal villages), RSS has touched millions of lives.

For the swayamsevak, service is not seasonal. It is a way of life.

A Global Network: Roots Abroad

As Indians moved abroad, they carried the shakha model with them. The Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) now runs in over 150 countries. In the US, UK, Australia, and elsewhere, weekly shakhas teach Indian culture, discipline, and values to second-generation youth.

It is not about politics abroad. It is about keeping identity alive and contributing positively to host societies. This is how the Indian idea of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - the world is one family  is lived in practice.

The Second Century of Sangh

As India enters the Amrit Kaal, the RSS has set five resolves, or Panch Pran, for the future:

1. End discrimination and build social harmony

2. Strengthen the family as the foundation of society

3. Protect nature and promote sustainable living

4. Embrace Swadeshi and self-reliance in daily life

5. Practice civic duty along with rights

   
   

We should definitely live the above values which Sangh has stated, but as we all are the New Gen we can add two more: digital discipline so that technology serves society, not the other way around; and local strength with global leadership so that India leads the world not only in economy but also in ethics.

Lessons for the World

What can the world learn from RSS’s 100 years?

• Character before politics: Strong citizens make strong nations.

• Volunteerism works: Societies can be transformed not only by governments but also by ordinary people giving their time selflessly.

• Proud identity is not divisive: When rooted in culture, societies can be generous, confident, and united.

At a time when many countries face loneliness, division, and social breakdown, the Sangh’s model of routine, relationship, and responsibility offers lessons far beyond India.

Closing Reflection

If you want Bharat to stand tall, water the roots. For a hundred years, the RSS has done just that. Quietly, consistently, it has invested in discipline, service, and character.

The day every Indian naturally lives like a swayamsevak selfless, dutiful, proud the RSS will no longer be needed. Until then, the invitation is open: reflect, volunteer, serve.

Join a service project in your basti. Start a youth circle in your college. Mentor one student. Plant a tree. Clean your neighbourhood lake. Reclaim one hour a day for body, mind, and duty.

Because nation-building is not a speech. It is a schedule. And as I have learned both in court and in public life: law is a tool to restore Dharma and protect society, but citizenship is the art that keeps Dharma alive.

Jai Hind.