Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
The
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (English: National Volunteer Union) is a
nationalist organization of
India. It was started in
1925 by Dr.
K.B. Hedgewar. It has slowly gained prominence and political influence, giving rise to the creation of the
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, formerly the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, and considered to be the political wing of the
Sangh Parivar movement) to head the central government of India. RSS is active throughout India and also abroad in Hindu communities. The RSS was banned in India thrice, in 1948 after Mahatma Gandhi's assisination, during the 1975 Emergency, and after the
1992 Babri Masjid demolition. The bans were subsequently lifted after the
Supreme Court of India declined to uphold the bans. RSS is the largest volunteer organization in India. The RSS has found itself at odds with many Muslim and Christian religious orgnizations due its commitment to stop the conversion of Hindus (especially when fraudulent or forced) and to peaceably maintain Hinduism as the predominant religion in India.
The RSS has been described by
The Economist as the largest non-communist organisation in the world. It has an estimated 1.3 million members.
[BBC News, Three 'militants' killed in India. Retrieved 01-June-2006.]The Sangh organises itself hierarchically, with a single individual, the
sarsanghachalak (English: supreme organisational director), directing it. The position is decided by appointment, with each sarsanghachalak appointing his successor. The current sarsanghachalak of RSS is
K.S. Sudarshan.
Most of the organisational work of the Sangh is done through the coordination of shakhas, or branches. These shakhas are run every morning (prabhat shakha), evening (sayam shakha) or night (atisayam shakha) for 1 hour in public places and are open to people of any creed. Currently about 50,000 shakhas are run throughout India. Apart from 42,000 daily gatherings, there are about 5,000 weekly and 2,000 monthly gatherings conducted throughout the length and breadth of the country.
These shakhas are the core building blocks of RSS structure. During a Shakha, the activities consist of
yoga, games (including sometimes training in
Silambam), discussions on broad range of social topics, prayer to
Bharat Mata and an educational session (bouddhik) given by a notable figure selected by the shakha coordinator. Usually the educational session relates to the
history of India,
Indian philosophy and culture, or ethics. RSS leaders wear the common uniform of a black cap, white shirt and brown
khaki shorts.
The general philosophical outlook is cultural nationalism. According to RSS a Hindu can be anyone living in Indian subcontinent. This includes Muslims and Christians. The RSS believes that Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life. The proclaimed purpose of the organization is "serving the nation and its people in the form of God - Bharata Mata and protecting the interests of the Hindus in India".
The Sarsanghchalak is the paramount leader of the RSS organization. The individuals who held the post are
*
Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar (founder), alias 'Doctorji' (1925-1940)
*
Madhavrao Sadashivrao Golwalkar, Guruji (1940-1973)
*
Madhukar Dattatraya Deoras, Balasaheb (1973-1993)
*Prof.
Rajendra Singh, Rajjubhaiya (1993-2000)
*
Kuppamahalli Sitaramayya Sudarshan (2000-present)
In
1925,
Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, a
Nagpur doctor formed the Rashtriya Swayemsevak Sangh with a vow to transform India into a
Hindu nation. The word "Rashtriya" means "National," and the word "Sangh" means "Union". The word "Swayamsevak" means self-reliant.
Hedgewar proposed the
Hindu masses must be united to combat "cultural invasions" and protect the freedom and diversity of Indian civilization.
Over the
1950s and
1960s, under
Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar (usually called "Guruji" or "Guru Golwalkar" by members), the RSS regained its power slowly and steadily, and amongst its social work embraced the
Cow Slaughter Ban Movement and the
Ram Temple in
Ayodhya movement. In
1967, the RSS encouraged the formation of the
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (World Hindu Council) to explicitly work on the
Ram Temple in
Ayodhya and the religious upliftment of Hindus.
In 1973,
Golwalkar passed away and Shri.
Balasaheb Deoras took over the leadership, and continued until 1993, when Dr.
Rajendra Singh took over from him. In this time came the rise of the
Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the political arm of the RSS. Between
1975 and
1977, the RSS launched a
civil disobedience movement, to reject the national emergency and postponement of elections by Prime Minister and Congress President
Indira Gandhi. The
Jana Sangh was an integral part of the
Janata Party coalition that defeated
Indira Gandhi's Congress in a landslide in 1977, but upon the collapse of that coalition, it emerged as the
BJP in 1980.
The RSS in the 1980s and 1990s saw its stock rise as the
BJP thrived upon the disenchantment of the masses with the Congress-led governments. By 1988, the
BJP had 88 seats in the
Lok Sabha, lower house of Parliament, and by 1996 it was the single-largest party. In 1998 it went on to head a coalition government that survived six years and another election in 1999.
During recent time, people who share RSS's ideology have gone on to achieve the highest political positions in the Indian Politics. These leaders include
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (Vice-President),
Atal Behari Vajpayee,
Lal Krishna Advani,
Narendra Modi and Ram Prakash Gupta.
|
Swayamsevaks in the "Sharirik Varg" of a Shakha |
"Shakhas" means "branch" in
Sanskrit. These shakhas are usually operated in playing grounds without any offices, wherein local youth join together in evening or morning to play games, exercise and engage in debate on various issues. At the end of the shakha the prayer is recited without fail
"Namaste Sadaa Vatsale Matrubhoome" which means "My salutation to you, ever loving motherland."
An RSS volunteer who attends shakha is referred to as a "Swayamsevak". The purpose of shakhas, as stated by Hedgewar, is to mold individuals and inculcate in them the values of the RSS, and thereby create a body of individuals committed to doing the work necessary to revitalize the nation.
* Present Sarsanghachalak:K.S. Sudarshan
* Sarkaryavaha:Mohanrao Bhagwat
* Sah Sarakaryavah :Madandas, Suresh Soni, Suresh (Bhayyaji) Joshi
* Sharirik Pramukh : Laxmanrao Pardikar
* Sah Sharirik Pramukh: K.C. Kannan
* Bouddhik Pramukh: Madhubhai Kulkarni
* Sah Bouddhik Pramukh: Dattatreya Hosabale
* Seva Pramukh: Premchand Goel
* Sah Seva Pramukh: Sitaram Kedilaya, Surendrasinh Chauhan, Omprakash
* Vyavastha Pramukh: Sankalchand Bagrecha
* Sah Vyavastha Pramukh: Balkrishna Tripathi
* Sampark Pramukh: Hastimal
* Sah Sampark Pramukh: Indresh Kumar
* Prachar Pramukh: Adhish Kumar
* Pracharak Pramukh:--
* Sah Pracharak Pramukh: Shrikrishna Motlag, Sureshrao Ketkar
* Members : Raghavendra Kulkarni, Ashok Kukde, Kalidas Basu, Sadanand Sapre, Shrikant Joshi
* Spokesman: Ram Madhav
* Special Invitees: K. Suryanarayana Rao, Shripati Shastri, Vasant Bapat, Dr. Bajranglal Gupta, Ranga Hari, M.G. (Baburao) Vaidya
Organizations which are inspired by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's ideology refer themselves as the members of the Sangh Parivar. In most of the cases Pracharaks [Full time volunteers of the RSS] were deputed to start and manage these organizations.
*
Seva Bharathi: Social Service Organization
*
Bharatiya Jan Sangh (Merged with Janata Party and later split to form the present BJP)
*
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP): Political Outfit
*
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP): World Hindu Organization
*
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad: Students Wing
*
Bajrang Dal: VHP Youth Wing
*
Vidya Bharti: Umbrella organization for guiding educational instituions run by the principles of R.S.S.
*
Bharatiya Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram: Organization working amongst
tribals (called 'vanvasis', forest dwellers, by the Sangh Parivar)
*
Swadeshi Jagran Manch*
Bharatiya Kisan Sangh: peasants union
*
Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh: trade union
*
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh: an organization to unite Hindus in the world
The largest voluntary organisation in the world. It operates through several organisations, independent in administration, in the field of social, culture and politics.
Religion & Spirituality
Yoga classes and boudhik shibirs
*
Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh*
Vishwa Hindu ParishadSocial Field
* Rashtriya Swayam Sevika Sangha - women's counterpart
*
Seva Bharti for tribal welfare
*
Swadeshi Jagran Manch*
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad Students'Organisation
*
Bharatiya Janata Party - political field
* Durga Vahini - women's youth wing
* Bajarang Dal - men's youth wing
Cultural Field
*
Vidya Bharati in Education
Relief activities
Highly active at the times of natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, drought and train-accidents etc.RSS helped Tsunami victims by building shelters.
*
Panchajanya - Largest circulated
Hindi weekly
*
Organiser -
English weekly
* Bunch of Thoughts - Shri Golwalkar
*
Indian Nationalism,
Hindutva*
Vishwa Hindu Parishad*
Bajrang Dal*
Bharatiya Janata Party*
Survey of Hindu organisations*
RSS - official website
