Source: TH
Context: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the ideological parent of the BJP, is celebrating its centenary year in 2025.
About Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh:
What it is?
- A socio-cultural organisation promoting the idea of a Hindu Rashtra.
- Known as the ideological fount of the Sangh Parivar.
Established in: Founded on 27 September 1925 by K.B. Hedgewar, a physician from Nagpur.
Headquarters: Nagpur, Maharashtra.
Aims:
- Foster unity among Hindus by transcending caste, regional and sectarian divides.
- Promote discipline, service, and cultural revival.
- Reclaim the idea of Akhand Bharat and establish India as a Vishwa Guru (global leader).
Key Contributions to India’s Freedom Movement:
- Civil Disobedience Movement (1930): Hedgewar and several swayamsevaks joined the Jungle Satyagraha against British forest laws in Central Provinces, though RSS officially stayed away.
- Poorna Swaraj Day (1930): All RSS shakhas observed 26 January 1930 as Independence Day, hoisting the saffron flag instead of the Congress tricolour.
- Relief during Partition (1947): RSS organised refugee camps in Punjab, Delhi, and Bengal to shelter and rehabilitate displaced Hindus.
- Dialogue with Gandhi (Sept 1947): Gandhi praised RSS discipline, simplicity, and service spirit while cautioning against its exclusivist Hindu-only nationalism.
- Post-Independence Transition (1948–51): After Gandhi’s assassination (by Nathuram Godse, linked to RSS/Hindu Mahasabha), the RSS was banned. To channel political aspirations, Golwalkar supported the creation of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (1951) under Syama Prasad Mookerjee.
