A century ago, in 1925, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) began as a fragile gathering of men in Nagpur. It started its journey at a time when Persian was more in vogue than Sanskrit, when Urdu carried the cadence of letters and poetry, and when Mahatma Gandhi, mistakenly, lent his political energies to the distant Khilafat movement. That modest circle of men, born of uncertain times during which the identity of prachin sabhyata was relegated to the background, has, in a hundred years, become one of the most powerful cultural and social forces in the Indian republic.

In his centenary address, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale spoke of an India where divisions of religion, birthplace, and caste would give way to shared purpose, urging swayamsevaks (volunteers) to “reach all sections of society… to seek cooperation and participation in the mission of national service.” He reminded listeners that through its century-long journey, the Sangh has depended on “society’s constant support,” growing because it aligned with the spirit of the people. From that foundation, he outlined five pillars for transformation — swadeshi (self-reliance), strong family values, social harmony, ecological consciousness, and civic duty. Each is seen as a thread weaving a unified tapestry. He invoked rashtra dharma (duty to the nation) as an eternal moral duty, transcending faith or region, declaring that Indians must dedicate themselves to the nation.

The RSS is today arguably the world’s largest voluntary organisation. It has endured bans, survived suspicion, and transformed into a body capable of shaping the national agenda. Whether one admires it or fears it, the Sangh is now a........

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