Golwalkar's Leadership: Expanding RSS amidst tumultuous times (1940-1973)

Guruji is known to have travelled across the country more than 65 times. His extensive travels, even at the cost of his health, and his gruelling schedule over 33 years led to the establishment of RSS-inspired organisations in every field, from tribal welfare to education. Most of the three dozen RSS-inspired organisations were founded during Golwalkar's tenure as Sarsanghchalak.

Guruji remains one of the most revered figures in the RSS, partly because of his advanced spiritual standing. In fact, Guruji’s spiritual master once told him that the long hair he had kept as a young sanyasi suited him. Guruji never cut his hair after that. He had taken formal 'deeksha' (initiation) as a sanyasi in the Ramakrishna Mission in the 1930s.

Guruji was born into the Raikar family in Nagpur at half-past four in the morning on 19 February 1906. According to the Bharatiya calendar, it was an auspicious day—Phalgun Krishna Ekadashi (Vijaya Ekadashi), Vikram Samwat 1962. In 2025, Guruji’s birthday will fall on 24 February according to the Bharatiya calendar, which the RSS follows.

Journey under the New Sarsanghchalak

In June 1940, the Sangh began its journey under the extraordinary ideological and organisational leadership of Guruji, following the demise of its founder and first Sarsanghchalak, Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar. While the Sangh had spread to some provinces outside Maharashtra, several parts of the country still remained untouched.

Until 1940, RSS volunteers began shakhas (branches) wherever they went as students. There were only a handful of Pracharaks (full-time workers). Guruji introduced the system of sending full-time workers exclusively to expand the organisation’s work. This change resulted in phenomenal growth in the organisation's network across the country.

At the same time, the RSS encouraged its volunteers to participate in the freedom movement. The organisation itself was in its nascent stage, so it adopted a strategy that, rather than involving the organisation directly in the struggle against the British, its volunteers should participate individually. Many RSS swayamsevaks participated in the freedom struggle, some losing their lives and others serving long prison sentences.

Guruji himself travelled extensively across the country to expand the RSS’ work. In 1941, he made a highly emotional appeal that resonated deeply with many youths, prompting them to dedicate their lives to the RSS’ cause as Pracharaks.

His appeal to young swayamsevaks in 1941 and 1942 was: "We need Pracharaks… we need Pracharaks. This is the demand arising from all directions. We must fulfil this demand." The impact of this clarion call was extraordinary. Forty-eight Pracharaks emerged from Lahore in 1942 alone. Of these, 10 were postgraduates, two were doctors, 14 were shastris, and the rest were graduates or above matriculation level. Similarly, 52 Pracharaks emerged from Amritsar, four of whom were doctors.

From June 1942 onwards, a large number of Pracharaks began to be sent to various provinces, and the RSS’ expansion gained new momentum.

Meanwhile, the British government in India became wary of the growing popularity of the RSS and attempted to crack down on the organisation by imposing restrictions on government employees attending RSS shakhas. Under Guruji’s guidance, the RSS adapted by making certain changes in its functioning (such as eliminating terms like 'Commander') and ensuring that its physical drills were not likened to military training.

A report sent by the Central Police Intelligence Department on 13 December 1943 stated: "It is not possible to create a case for banning the Sangh. But it is equally clear that Golwalkar is creating a strong organisation at a rapid pace, so that they would obey orders, maintain confidentiality, and engage in sabotage or any other activity as required by their leader."

The CID report of 30 December 1943 said: "The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is progressing rapidly towards building a significant all-India organisation. Spokesmen of the Sangh claim that the organisation's fundamental goal is to achieve Hindu unity… In a programme in November 1943 in Lahore, MS Golwalkar declared that the Sangh's objective is to eliminate untouchability and unify all sections of Hindu society… Membership of the Sangh is growing continuously. In the Central Provinces, membership has risen from 32,000 to 33,344. In Mumbai, it has increased from 18,029 to 20,476, and in Punjab, from 10,000 to 14,000… A new dimension to their growth is their efforts to penetrate rural areas."

The report added, "MS Golwalkar emphasised this aspect during the winter camp in Wardha, stressing that the Sangh should expand into villages. Sangh office-bearers from its head office toured the shakhas in remote areas continuously, to ignite interest in Sangh work, offer secret directions, and strengthen local organisations. This momentum can be seen in the tours of the current RSS chief, MS Golwalkar, as a prime example of such efforts. In April, he visited Ahmedabad; in May, he was in Amravati and Pune; in June, he visited Nasik and Benaras; in August, he was in Chanda; in September, he toured Pune; in October, Madras and the Central Provinces; and in November, Rawalpindi."

The momentum created between 1940 and 1947 gained further strength post-independence under his able leadership. After his passing in 1973, the third Sarsanghchalak of the RSS, Balasaheb Deoras, continued to build upon the solid organisational foundation laid by Golwalkar.

Earlier RSSFACTS columns can be read here.