The much awaited three-day all India Coordination meeting of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at Palakkad in Kerala ended on September 2. The meeting was attended by senior functionaries of 32 RSS-inspired organisations including the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Here are some key takeaways from this meeting that also give an indication about the future roadmap of the RSS that is turning 100 next year.
No Big Bang Celebrations but Massive Thrust on Expansion
The RSS will formally start its centenary programs from October 2025, on Vijaydashami. The RSS was set up on Vijaydashami in 1925. First and foremost, the RSS will not have any big bang celebrations but will use this opportunity to give a major thrust to its organizational outreach at all levels and among all sections of society. This is part of the long-standing RSS tradition that instead of focusing on optics, the emphasis is on real work in the field. In 1989-90, similar outreach programs were held during the centenary celebrations of its founder Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar. During the centenary celebrations of the second Sarsanghchalak, MS Golwalkar, popularly known as ‘Guruji,’ the RSS organized meetings and public programs across the country at the district level. The central theme of all these celebrations remains the same—Hindu unity with a specific focus on mainstreaming marginalized sections of society. For the RSS centenary celebrations, the central theme will remain the same, and all RSS-inspired organizations will carry out their programs accordingly.
Women Safety and Empowerment
Thirty-two women delegates attended the Palakkad meeting. The RSS has not only taken notice of the tragic incident at RG Kar Hospital in Kolkata but has decided to launch a massive campaign to enhance women’s safety across the country. RSS Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar detailed this in a press conference on September 2 at Palakkad, briefing the media about the meeting’s deliberations. The RSS has been deeply concerned about women’s safety in the past as well. One key deterrent for enhancing women’s safety is speedy trials and quick justice for victims. Ambekar mentioned that the RSS wants fast-track courts and speedy justice, along with any necessary legal amendments. However, the RSS believes that, in addition to the government and law-and-order machinery, this issue also requires societal transformation. Men in society need to view women with greater respect, achievable through proper upbringing. Women’s safety and societal attitudes toward women are now key areas the RSS will focus on.
According to Ambekar, “The RSS and its inspired organisations have held 472 women conferences in the recent past with participation of more than 5.75 lakh women. These conferences were held in almost every state at the district level where issues of women empowerment and their safety were discussed at length followed by actionable programmes that are being implemented.
It is important to know that the RSS has been working on the issue of women empowerment since the 1930s. It started with the setting up of Rashtra Sevika Samiti, an organisation for women that works with the women volunteers. The RSS had set up several decades ago an internal co-ordination mechanism to work with women volunteers. This mechanism is known as ‘Mahila Samanvay’.
Ambekar has mentioned in his book, ‘The RSS Roadmap for 21st Century’, “In 2017, the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh organised a massive march in Delhi with two lakh people, one lakh of the activist force were women. Vigyan Bharati started Shakti, a conclave of women scientists. Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram and Samskar Bharati have many women full-timers.”
Standing up for Hindus globally
The RSS has been taking up the cause of Hindus globally and would continue to do so. Especially in the context of the ongoing developments in Bangladesh where Hindu minorities are being targeted by radical Islamists, the RSS has taken up the issue with the government and is also working round the clock through organisations like Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The issue was discussed at length in the RSS meet at Palakkad. The organisation is clear about it that wherever the Hindus would be in trouble across the world, it would take up their cause at the government level and would also try to do whatever it can for them directly through its inspired organisations and volunteers who have a global reach now.
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