RSSFACTS is a column that demystifies the functioning, organisational structure and ideology of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
The RSS was founded by a medical doctor Keshav Baliram Hedgewar who devoted much of his life to setting up an organisation which has today grown to become, arguably, the largest voluntary organisation in the world. RSS has more than 60,000 ‘Shakhas’ (a daily/weekly gathering of volunteers) around the country.
In addition, millions of volunteers work in various RSS-inspired organisations that cover almost every field ranging from tribal welfare to Science and Technology, from consumer rights to trade unions. There are around three-dozen such organisations who have a pan-India presence. They work at the grassroots level as well as with leaders from various walks of life.
Dr Hedgewar’s Early Life
Hedgewar was born on Sunday, April 1, 1889. He started RSS at the age of around 36 years with a handful of teenagers in Nagpur in 1925. The Hedgewar family originally hailed from Kandkurti village in Telangana. His father’s name was Baliram Pant Hedgewar and his mother’s name was Revatibai. They had six children including three sons – Mahadev, Seetaram and Keshav; and three daughters – Saroo, Rajoo and Rangoo. Keshav was the fifth child.
At the age of 13, Keshav lost both his parents to plague. But he continued with his studies amidst quite adverse conditions. He studied in various institutions in Nagpur, Yavatmal and Poona and joined the national movement for freedom. He was greatly influenced by the firebrand nationalism of Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
In 1910, he left for Calcutta to study medicine. Freedom fighter and revolutionary Trilokynath Chakravarty has written in his book titled ‘Thirty Years in Jail’, that Keshav Baliram Hedgewar was granted membership of ‘Anushilan Samiti’, a well-known revolutionary group of freedom fighters at that time. Keshav studied medicine and stayed in Kolkata from 1910 to 1916.
The Freedom Fighter
He came back to Nagpur in 1916 and, along with his friend Bhauji Kavre, tried to set up revolutionary groups in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions but these efforts were met with limited success. While trying to set up these groups, he came in contact with the ‘Akharas’ and Vyayamshalas (Gymnasiums)’, in Nagpur. In 1921, there were around 230 Akharas. The number increased to 570 by 1931.
Dr Hedgewar had developed a strong network among many of these Akharas (which were also local gymnasiums like Vyayamshalas, where traditional Indian sports like wrestling, were practised). He developed this network while working for the national freedom movement. In 1921, he participated in the Non-Cooperation Movement and was jailed by the British government on various charges including that of sedition. He read out a written statement in August 1921, while being on trial on the charges of sedition.
A British judge exclaimed after hearing the statement: “His defence is even more seditious than his original speech!” Dr Hedgewar was sentenced to one year in prison. He was released in July 1922 from Ajani Jail and the same evening a public reception was organised in which the then senior Congress leader Motilal Nehru (father of independent India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru), and Hakim Ajmal Khan also addressed the gathering. The weekly Maharashtra wrote in an article on Dr Hedgewar’s release from jail saying: “No words can adequately describe Dr Hedgewar’s intense spirit of patriotism and selflessness. These traits of his have now become all the more resplendent after the fire ordeal.”
Founding Of The RSS
There are various accounts as to what propelled Dr Hedgewar to establish the RSS and devote his complete life to building this organisation. One can say that there was no single incident but several factors which probably motivated him to do so. That included growing tendency of appeasement of the Muslims which was reflected in some of the moves by Congress such as rejection of a resolution seeking ban on cow-slaughter at the All India Congress Committee Session in 1920.
Along with this, there were certain international developments which were indicating that the Second World War could happen in the years to come. Appaji Joshi who worked closely with Dr Hedgewar in Congress recounted that the latter used to predict that Germany would definitely try to take revenge for its defeat in the First World War and that would result in the Second World War. It would take around 20 years and could happen by 1940.
Dr Hedgewar felt that there was a need for a strong cadre-based disciplined organisation which could take advantage of the situation and force the British government to give freedom to India. He strongly felt that the time till 1940 should be used to set up such an organisation and strengthen it so that it could yield a final blow to British rule.
His experience in the armed revolutionary struggle and the non-violent national struggle under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi also made him realise that unless a disciplined cadre-based and well-trained nationalistic organisation addresses fundamental issues of building strong nationalistic character, India might not be able to sustain its freedom even if it is able to attain it.
The Hindu-Muslim riots following the Non-Cooperation Movement further disillusioned him with the existing tactics deployed by the then leaders of the freedom struggle. He felt that there was an urgent need to address the fundamental issues and look beyond quick fix solutions so that India is never colonised again in any form. All this led to laying the foundation of the RSS on the festive day of ‘Vijaydashmi’, also known as, ‘Dussehra’, in 1925.
Arun Anand has authored two books on RSS. His X handle is @ArunAnandLive. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication.
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