RSS - A Century Of Service

The history of the birth and growth of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is in many respects ,unique .Founded in 1925 by Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar with a handful of young men ,the sangh has now spread to nearly more than 80,000 daily 'Shakhas' are conducted or at frequent intervals leaving no part of the country untouched .Several factors have contributed to the growing popularity of the Sangh . They have always reponded to the nation's call in all crucial moments of natural and man - made exigencies .Because of their dynamic role in various fields  of national life they have built up powerful momvements which have had remarkable impact on millions of our countrymen .

Dr. Hedgewar was a born patriot ,even a boy of tender age ,sparks of protest against the foreign british rule flew from him .He never tried of warning that mere quitting of the British would not in itself see the end of all our troubles . Especially ,his analysis that a powerful ,organised ,resurgent Hindu society alone could furnish a firm gurantee for our continued national freedom and intregrity is being borne out word to word by the developing situation ,specially in regions where the Hindus have been reduced to small numbers or have remained disorganized and weak .

The approach cultivated in the Sangh towards strengthening the unifying and harmonising impulses of society is entirely positive in its content .Its guiding note is self -reformation and laying the blame on others for our downfall and degeneration . 'Emphasise the unifying factors and just ignore the differences' - this is another positive features of the approach of the sangh . The programmes of sangh are so designed that the inherent oneness of the participants is invoked and an unbreakable social brotherhood forged . In ,1934 when Gandhiji visited Swayamsevaks camp at Wardha ,he was pleasantly surprised to find that the Swayamsevaks were not even aware of the castes of one another ,not to speak of any ideas of untouchablity. This incident had left a such a deep impression on Gandhi's mind that he reffered to it a full thirteen years later when he addressed to the workers of Sangh in Bhangi Colony at Delhi on 16th september ,1947 . Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar too ,when he visited Sangh Shiksha Varga in 1939 ,in pune was surprised to find the Swayamsevak moving about in absolute equality and brotherhood without even caring to know the caste of others .

The spontaneous manner in which the Swayamsevaks repond to calamities - natural or man made also stems from the basic social attitudes instilled in them by Sangh . Sangh views society as a living organism .During the emergency in 1975 - 77 ,our country was plunged in internal slavery and every single cherished value of free and democratic life was smothered ,the Swayamsevaks rose as one man in the cause of the people .The positive concept of social consolidation envisaged by Sangh has room for the other communities of this country also .The sangh harbours no hatred for  anyone merely because he belongs to a different faith . The word 'Hindu' in Sangh's view ,cannotes the national entity of 'Bharat ' and not merely a religious faith .In this broad national sense ,whoever identifies himself with a national life -  current ,that anyone who loves Bharat and who takes pride in Bharat ,irrespective of his creed ,is a Hindu .
The spirit of loving brotherhood cultivated among the Swayamsevaks had been at the back of their involvement in several facets of social transformation - ensuing social justice being one of the more prominent among them . The sangh believes that where there is a spirit of sincere love and amity there can be no exploitation or injustice indulged in by one section against the other in the society .A hundred years of the Sangh testify to its disciplined expansion, tireless service, and the nurturing of nation-loving citizens.The Sangh has called for five great transformations to guide Bharat into its next century — social harmony that rises above the walls of caste, language, and region; environmental protection that restores balance with nature through India's timeless wisdom; family enlightenment that makes the home the fountainhead of values; Swadeshi-based lifestyle that leads to a truly self-reliant nation; and a deep sense of civic duty that places the national interest at the heart of every individual's daily conduct.
These five changes are the path to elevate Bharat to the pinnacle of supreme glory — the timeless resolution of the Sangh for the coming century.

The visions that Dr. Hedgewar ji lighted up and the process that he initiated for its translation into reality has become an inspiring leagacy for every Swayamsevaks devoted to the various fileds of national reconstruction .