With Focus On Muslims & Christians In Kerala, RSS Looks To Expand Footprint Via Social Pitch

Last Updated:March 14, 2026, 09:26 IST

The outreach forms part of a nationwide campaign marking 100 years of RSS, an effort aimed not merely at expansion, but also at building what the Sangh describes as ‘Sajjan Shakti’

Amid its centenary year, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has projected a carefully calibrated message that speaks about the expansion of the organisation alongside outreach across castes and communities, including Muslims and Christians. And the most striking illustration, according to Sangh functionaries, has come from Kerala.

Addressing journalists at the annual Akhil Bhartiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) in Haryana’s Samalkha, RSS joint general secretary CR Mukunda highlighted that the Sangh volunteers conducting the centenary Griha Sampark Abhiyan (door-to-door campaign) reached out to over 55,000 Muslim households and more than 54,000 Christian families in Kerala, where they were ‘warmly welcomed’.

The outreach forms part of a nationwide campaign marking 100 years of the RSS, an effort aimed not merely at organisational expansion but also at building what the Sangh describes as ‘Sajjan Shakti’—the constructive forces within society.

The three-day Pratinidhi Sabha, inaugurated by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, is being held at the Madhav Srishti campus in Samalkha with more than 1,400 representatives from across the country participating.

Among other things, the ABPS paid tributes to several eminent personalities who passed away recently, including former Union Home Minister and Lok Sabha Speaker Shivraj Patil and veteran Communist leader R Nallakannu. The Sangh remembered their public service and contributions to national life during the opening session of the ABPS.

Expansion & The Social Narrative

The numbers presented in the Sangh’s annual report reflect a steady organisational expansion. Over the past year, the RSS has increased its footprint from 83,129 shakhas operating at 51,740 locations to 88,949 shakhas across 55,683 places, adding nearly 3,943 new locations and 5,820 shakhas in a year.

Parallel to this expansion, the Sangh has pushed its social mobilisation through large gatherings. According to Mukunda, over 37,000 Hindu Sammelans have been organised nationwide with the participation of around 3.5 crore people, cutting across urban, rural and tribal regions.

These events, the RSS says, are meant to promote its concept of ‘Panch Parivartan’, a five-point societal transformation agenda focusing on social harmony, environmental consciousness, family values (Kutumb Prabodhan), pride in civilisational identity, and civic responsibility.

Messages on Security and Borders

The Sangh leadership also used the platform to address developments in conflict-affected regions.

Mukunda welcomed government efforts to restore peace in Naxal-affected areas, saying the improving security situation is enabling development to reach regions long trapped in insurgency. He also pointed to encouraging signs of stabilisation in Manipur, noting that RSS volunteers had been involved in relief and reconciliation efforts on the ground.

At the same time, the Sangh expressed concern about the condition of Hindus in neighbouring Bangladesh, hoping that the situation of the community there would improve.

Taken together, the messaging from the Pratinidhi Sabha reflects the Sangh’s twin strategy in its centenary year, expanding its organisational reach while projecting a broader social engagement narrative from minority outreach in Kerala to national security concerns along India’s borders.

News politics With Focus On Muslims & Christians In Kerala, RSS Looks To Expand Footprint Via Social Pitch

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