RSS is at the center of the Sangh, which sets the priorities and tactics for promoting Hindu nationalist ideals and goals to consolidate the Hindu society and achieve their goal of a Hindu nation.
Our India is a great phenomenon where diverse religions, different languages, contradictory lifestyles, multiple cultures, divergent dress codes and dissimilar food habits coexist.
Unity in diversity is the bedrock upon which our nation is firmed up. There were human inhabitations in various parts of India even thousands of years before the Indus valley civilization, let alone the Vedic civilization. Such people had their own lifestyles and cultures. Hinduism is more pluralistic and tolerant when compared with other religions.
About 5000 years ago, our great soil gave birth to a sublime civilization viz the Indus valley civilization. Again, after about fifteen centuries the Vedic civilization crystallized in this land and in the wake of it Hinduism became predominant and it almost turned out to be a way of life with a vast majority of Indian people.
Hinduism has always welcomed other religions and civilizations like Jainism, Budhism, Sikhism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism and Zorashtrianism. As Hinduism is the cornerstone of the foundation of Indian pluralism it has ever been possible for India to pull through all the crises in its history.
Driven by the mantra of "Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam (The entire world is a family)", Sangh Parivar is a platform for RSS volunteers spread all around the world. The very definition of nationalism itself has undergone changes over a period of time.
Most of us call ourselves Hindu, without really knowing what it means, other than the most superficial knowledge we picked up from probably our parents or grandparents, some more than the others. But largely, we are ignorant of both our antiquity and the profundity of the ancient knowledge of the Veda-Purans and our Itihasa.
Charter of Sangh Parivar; To provide traditional education to the Hindu (traditional education was effectively banned after the British introduced the India Education Act of 1835). To rebuild Hindu character and traditions (after all, we have been under brutal, oppressive Islamic and Christian colonial foreign rule for over 700 years).
To establish educational & medical institutions and charities to work among the poor and dispossessed Hindu. To help the general public in times of natural calamities like floods, earthquakes, etc.
To protect the Hindu communities against brutal communal violence, forced proselytization or other criminal activities. To be the voice of the Hindu in the political discourse of the country.
To identify and highlight problems in urban, rural and migrant communities across India, for resolution. To bring about a sense of unity and oneness by respecting the diversity of Indian customs and traditions and its many forms of practice.
Spread the ancient “Dharmic” tradition of love and respect for the one “ultimate truth”, and the many diverse paths to it. Identify themes around which the country can forge a renewed sense of national identity.
Sangh Parivar (family of RSS) is a broad term to group all the organizations related to the RSS. There are 3 dozen such national organizations. In 2020, RSS had almost 585,000 members and over 57,000 branches or sakhas. There are more than 100 affiliate bodies, the RSS is a humongous force in Indian Politics.
The affiliated organisations include: Bharatiya Janata Party, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Seva Bharti, Rashtra Sevika Samiti, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Shiksha Bharati, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, Saraswati Shishu Mandir, Vidya Bharati Sansthan, Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram, Muslim Rashtriya Manch, Bajrang Dal, Anusuchit Jati-Jamati Arakshan Bachao Parishad, Laghu Udyog Bharati, Bharatiya Vichara Kendra, Vishwa Samvad Kendra, Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, Vivekananda Kendra etc.
Other Hindu organisations are also inspired from RSS's philosophy. The educational wing of RSS, which is known as Vidya Bharati Sansthan, operates over 40,000 schools all over India, mainly in the remote and backward areas. Sangh Parivar run nearly 30,000 Ekal Vidyalayas (schools) in tribal areas for students who can’t afford so called ‘Good Schools’.
This number is growing day by day. In these schools, the Sansthan educates over 50 lakh students every year. No other organization performs such duty to the nation’s next generation. RSS is not Anti Muslim but Pro Hindu. A Muslim Organization called as Muslim Rashtriya Manch, affiliated to RSS, has helped many Muslim families.
RSS have been contributing immensely even before Independence. Even today, They Participated and helped Indians in different Disasters e.g. in Tamil Nadu Tsunami, the Gujarat earthquake, Uttarakhand floods, Bhopal gas tragedy etc.
Sangh Parivar aims at taking the initiatives to ensure the service of Bharat Mata irrespective of any creed and caste, religion and Panth. Even crossing the national boundaries, we are committed to serve the humanity on the soil of foreign land. Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), the overseas wing of the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Many Indian's in US work for HSS and take their children to the shakha. USA is one of 39 countries where HSS runs shakhas. Also there are shakhas in Mauritius and Sewa. HSS works closely with other Hindu cultural organizations in abroad including the Chinmaya and Ramakrishna missions.
The first shakha on foreign soil was in Mombasa. RSS's Kenya wing, earlier called Bharat Swayamsevak Sangh, spread its ideology to neighbouring Tanzania and Uganda, and later to parts of South Africa and Mauritius. Currently 1250 pracharaks team and over 1900 vistaraks team work towards spreading shakhas overseas.
UK has 84 shakhas; The sangh parivar got a boost in the UK under Blairite 'multiculturalism' in which culture was identified with religion and religion with its most hardcore version. The sangh celebrates 50 years in UK.
Nepal has the largest number of shakhas outside India, US comes second with 146 by making its presence in every state of the US. There are shakhas in cities like New York, Washington DC, Seattle and Miami. While shakhas in India take place in open maidans, in the US, most shakhas are held in university campuses on hired parking.
India’s Top three Constitutional Posts viz a viz President, Vice-President (in the coming future) and PM - all are proud members of RSS. BJP is a RSS Affiliated Body and 70% of Top BJP Members are from RSS. There are Regular Meetings between RSS and NDA on many issues and Functioning of Government.
If Narendra Modi ji is the Face of NDA, RSS is its Root. Only due to Ground Work of RSS members, NDA is winning state after state. NDA is Ruling on more than 60% Population of India, and hence RSS. Some of the Key Members in Indian Politics from RSS are: Atal Bihari Vajpayee, L K Advani, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ram Nath Kovind, Venkaiah Naidu, Sumitra Mahajan, Eknath Ranade, Manohar Parrikar, Nitin Gadkari, Rajnath Singh, Murli Manohar Joshi, Shiv Raj Singh Chowhan, Vijay Rupani, Devendra Fadanavis and the count continues.
RSS is the world’s largest voluntary non-governmental organisation, has changed the face of Indian democracy. While khaki pants white shorts are the RSS trademark in India, the uniform abroad comprises black pants and a white shirt. 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' is the chant at shakhas in India; abroad it is 'Vishwa Dharma Ki Jai.'
Authored by Anadi Sahoo
