RSS prepares for centenary year with organisational growth and outreach

There are still certain parts of the country where the RSS feels it needs to reach out more effectively.

(RSSFACTS is a column that demystifies the functioning, organisational structure and ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.)

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will turn 100 in 2025, and it is all set to expand its organisational network further. The RSS was established by Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar on Vijaydashami. The first RSS shakha was started at Nagpur with a group of youngsters.

Over the last 99 years, the RSS has expanded its reach massively. The official statistics shared at a high-level meeting of its senior functionaries in October 2024 provide a glimpse of how it has reached every nook and corner of the country.

At present, 72,354 shakhas are being held in 45,411 places. About 3,626 new places with 6,645 new shakhas have been added in the last year as part of the expansion drive ahead of the centenary year.

There are 29,369 places where weekly shakhas (where RSS volunteers meet for an hour once a week) are held. Similarly, the number of places where weekly shakha meetings were held totalled to this. In 2024, the places where weekly shakhas are held increased by 3,147.

There are still certain parts of the country where the RSS feels it needs to reach out more effectively. In places where daily shakhas haven’t reached, monthly get-togethers are held to prepare the ground for the launch of daily shakhas. Currently, such monthly meetings are held at 11,382 places. During 2024, 750 new places were added to the list of places where such monthly meetings are held. In the RSS parlance, these monthly meeting groups are called ‘Sangh mandali’.

Overall, the RSS has expanded in 2024 to reach 113,105 places directly. If we add to this the might of around three dozen RSS-inspired organisations, the massive outreach of the RSS volunteers is becoming increasingly incomparable.

RSS Responds to Natural Disasters Across India

Throughout the year, Sangh Swayamsevaks (volunteers) have been at the forefront of disaster relief efforts across India.

- West Bengal: During the Tarakeswari river flooding, volunteers provided essential services to over 25,000 individuals at relief camps.

- Odisha: In response to severe flooding, 4,000 people received critical healthcare, food, and water assistance.

- Kerala: Following devastating landslides in Wayanad, 1,000 volunteers were mobilised to aid in relief and recovery operations.

- Gujarat: Significant flood relief efforts were conducted in the regions of Vadodara, Jamnagar, and Dwarka.

Furthermore, Sangh Swayamsevaks played a crucial role in providing dignified last rites to over 600 individuals who lost their lives in various disasters. These efforts extended beyond religious boundaries, with last rites conducted according to the customs and traditions of each individual, regardless of their faith.

The centennial year for the RSS will culminate on Vijaydashami in 2025. That is when the RSS will start its celebrations. For the first 10 months of the year 2025, RSS volunteers will make preparations for these celebrations.

As part of this preparation, the RSS is focusing on two key areas. First, the organisational aspect. There is a concerted effort to get more full-time workers, with the target being to have the presence of the RSS in every village, town, and city of the country. For the RSS, the celebrations don’t mean organising glamorous events and glittery get-togethers. The RSS celebrates by taking up bigger targets for expanding its organisation and strengthening its existing network. This is how it celebrated the centenaries of some of its earlier Sarsanghchalaks. Another target for the RSS in 2025 is to have a greater focus on youth, with the aim to connect them not only with their cultural roots but also to engage them in serving society, especially the marginalised and vulnerable sections.

The second area where the RSS is going to give a new thrust is social transformation. The ideological framework for this task was finalised in 2024, and it is being called the "Panch Parivartan" initiative – a set of five transformative ideas. The RSS volunteers will engage with the common people by taking these ideas to them and putting them into action. The key focus areas in these five ideas are:

* Individual Growth: Promoting lifestyles centred on "swa" (self-reliance and self-awareness).

* Social Harmony: Fostering harmonious relationships within society.

* Family Values: Emphasising the importance of strong family bonds and traditional values.

* Environmental Stewardship: Advocating for environmental conservation and preservation.

* Civic Responsibility: Promoting a strong sense of civic duty and active participation in society.

Conclusion

While political commentators and politicians remain busy deciphering the RSS’s relationship with the Bharatiya Janata Party and its electoral impact, the RSS remains focused on its organisational expansion, giving little thought to electoral politics. This story is likely to remain unchanged in 2025, just as it has during the last 99 years. And this is the real strength of the RSS.

Earlier RSSFACTS columns can be read here.