As the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) approaches its centenary on October 2 this year, a particular dimension of its work that deserves closer look is its work among Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. There are no less than 2 lakh welfare projects that RSS-inspired organisations and its volunteers have been running for the marginalised sections of the society. These projects have been set up gradually over a period of the last 100 years.

But beyond these structured programmes there exists a rich tapestry of individual stories—unsung heroes at the grassroots level. A Century of Service: The RSS and its Work Among Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (by Damodhar, Samvit Prakashan) has documented some of these stories which are a lesson for those political and social outfits that frame SC/ST welfare through the lens of identity politics—often deepening divides in the process.

When Madhukar Rao Dewal, an RSS volunteer from Pune, went back to his village Mhaisal in Sangli district of Maharashtra a few years ago after finishing his education to look after his ancestral property, he was deeply pained by the poverty and financial distress suffered by the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in his village. Dewal decided to stay back in the village permanently and do something about this. He supported and motivated the members of the SC & ST community to........

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