Bhagwat: RSS endured a century of hostility

New Delhi: Casting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's centenary as both vindication of its importance and presentation of a fresh challenge, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Tuesday said the organisation had endured a century of neglect, hostility and bans to emerge as a force of acceptance, and used the occasion to define Hindu identity as inclusive and rooted, not in territory but in devotion to Bharat Mata and the traditions of ancestors.Speaking at "100 Years Journey of RSS: New Horizons" at Vigyan Bhawan, Bhagwat said RSS's founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar had participated in all four streams of the freedom struggle - revolutionary, political, social reform and spiritual renaissance - and was remembered as a "born patriot." Hedgewar, he noted, had concluded that leaders, policies and parties may be useful but are secondary to the objective of society's transformation.Tracing the Sangh's path, the Sarsanghchalak said, "there is much discourse regarding the Sangh... the available information is limited and often inauthentic. It is imperative to present the truth and accurate details," urging people to form a view about the organisation "based on facts and not on perception".As he traced Sangh's journey, a micro movie showed a 3,000-strong RSS contingent participating in the Republic Day parade of 1963 at the instance of Nehru, "the very same person", the commentary emphasised, "who had banned the organisation citing the assassination of Gandhi.

He said that Sangh believed in bringing people together and welding them into a team for the pursuit of building India as a powerful nation. "Coming together is beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success," said Bhagwat as he detailed the process of sculpting an individual into the "new man" of RSS's conception, right since their initial days in an RSS Shakha.Despite bans, attacks and vilification, the Sangh had spread from small beginnings to every corner of the country, he said, because of the selfless dedication of swayamsevaks.

With no paid staff and no external funding, the organisation continued to grow only on the basis of voluntary efforts.The gathering reflected the wider audience the Sangh seeks to engage, drawing diplomats from over two dozen embassies, including major powers and neighbours; members of think tanks such as ORF, Infinity Foundation, HSS and TEDx India; and corporate representatives. The lecture series will continue till Thursday with Bhagwat scheduled to engage with Indian and international voices.