Background & Evolution

Background of RSS formation : RSS founder Dr Hedgewar was closely associated with various movements including political freedom. He was also involved in revolutionaries through `Anushilan Samiti’. Dr Hedgewar had come to the conclusion to form RSS after deep thinking. His objective was very clear – organizing Hindus. Dr Hedgewar primarily found three reasons for the then sorry state of India. Three reasons are self-forgottenness, self-centred individuals and lack of collective self-discipline and action. Society has forgotten Hindutva and its glorious history, people have forgotten social duties and responsibilities.

 

Hindus, who were living here for generations and centuries, were divided along the caste line and on other different grounds. This was against the ethos of eternal Hindu ideas but they gradually crippled in the society and weakened it. The caste sensitivity had become more dominant while the sense of Hindutva was weakened. The people had forgotten that the the future of Bharat was inevitably related with the status of Hindutva. Hindus had distanced themselves from any collective action. Any attempt to improve the situation was not successful because of lack of organization. Only a handful of people used to contribute for social and political cause, which was inadequate. Muslims and British invaded against this backdrop. It resulted into a kind of patriotism but it was predominantly negative in nature.

 

It lacked constructive spirit. India was highly demoralized and had become self-critic, forgetting its assets and qualities.Self-esteem, which is the primary element for national awakening, was missing for generations. In absence of organization, freedom or any other movement was unable to withstand for a long time. In Bharat’s freedom struggle, majority of the leaders were either deeply influenced by Western ideas or inspired by them. They had an illusionary idea of nation in mind.

 

Western ideas were not applicable in Bharat. Thanks to fundamental differences of socio-economic and cultural nature between Bharat & the West, attempts to impose western ideas continued because of lack of organized efforts to stop it. Freedom struggle lacked sense of “SWA”, which was fundamentally a prerequisite for the same. Against this backdrop, a series of incidents had further demoralized people. These happenings mainly include failure in 1857 freedom struggle, formation of Congress, which was mainly acting as a safety vault, British policy of divide and rule, division of Bengal in 1905, formation of Muslim League in 1906. Dr Hedgewar firmly believed that organization and awakening of Hindus was the only ever lasting solution to make the nation stronger and prosperous in all walks of life. He, therefore formed RSS to this nation at the state of `Param Vaibhav'.

 

 

RSS was founded on the auspicious day of Vijayadashami - September 27, 1925 in presence of a handful of Swayamsewaks, including its founder Dr Hedgewar. All of them used to go to Nagpur’s Maharashtra Vyayamshala every day. Political discussion used to take place on every Thursday, which was also known as ‘Rajkiy Varg’, which was eventually turned into ‘Baudhik Varg’.

 

The first shakha was held at Mohite Wada in Nagpur May 28, 1926. Within the next few months, the number of shakhas started to grow. The first shakha outside Nagpur was held in Wardha, during the same year in presence of Dr. Hedgewar. Dr Hedgwar was elected as ‘Chief of the Sangh’ on December 19, 1926 by all Sanghchalaks (Sangh local heads) with consensus. The first Officers’ Training Camp (OTC) was held in 1927 when training of `dand’, `talwar’ and `bhala’ was given to the participants. Inspired by army discipline, uniforms for Swayamsewaks were introduced in the camp. Similarly a route march was also conducted. Gurupurnima, was first observed in 1928 while the first pledge taking programme was also conducted at the same time.

 

The first winter camp was held in 1928. A route march with `ghosh’ (band) was taken out. The route march was also taken out on a song – `Jhanda Hindu Rashtra Ka, Jhanda Bharat Varsh Ka’, which later became popular in RSS. On November 10, 1929, the first Sarsanghchalak Pranam was offered to Dr Hedgewar while the Pracharak system, which has been performing a role in RSS work, was introduced in the same year. Dr Hedgewar participated in Jungle Satyagraha in 1930. Significantly and thoughtfully Dr Laxmanrao Paranjape was given the responsibility of Sarsanghchalak, anticipating his arrest and jail.

 

Dr Hedgewar wanted to continue RSS work without any hindrance and irrespective of external situations because of which he appointed Dr Paranjape as Sarsanghchalak. The purpose was to continue RSS work without any divergence in his absence. Like Dr Hedgewar, several activists participated in the freedom struggle at individual level with the sole aim of making this nation free from the clutches of British rule. Mahatma Gandhi visited Wardha’s Winter Camp in 1934 and was highly impressed after realizing that caste was not observed in the camp. RSS OTCs used to be held at Nagpur till 1934. However, the first OTC, outside Nagpur, was held in Pune in 1935. The OTC in Pune was for first- and second-year training. In 1938, the OTC for the first and second year was held in Lahore. In 1939 a meeting was held in Sindi in Wardha district of Maharashtra, when Sanskrit orders and Sanskrit Prarthana were finalized, which came into force from 1940. (A separate piece has been written on Sindi meeting) In 1939, thousands of Swayamsewaks participated in the agitation against Nizam for his anti-Hindu policies. RSS founder Dr Hedgewar died after a brief illness. He had appointed Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, affectionately called Guruji as Sarsanghchalak. Guruji became the second Sarsanghchalak. In 1942, the British government banned all uniforms like the army. RSS then introduced some changes in the uniform.

 

The new uniform was white shirt, white shoes and blue socks. In 1945, the uniform was changed again, adding `patis pungli’ and long shoes. In 1974 the uniform was changed again while khaki shorts were replaced with full brown trousers in 2016 A separate piece is scheduled on this). At the time of partition in 1947, RSS undertook massive relief work, particularly in those areas, where refugees came from Pakistan. Shri Guruji, at the insistence of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, met Maharaja Hari Singh in 1947, after which Maharaja Hari Singh decided to be with India. RSS was banned in February 1948 following assassination of Mahatma Gandhi and subsequently Shri Guruji declared dissolution of RSS.

 

However, RSS objected to ban and completely disassociated itself from the reason because of which it was banned. (<-- Need to explain words in a detailed manner. (Explained) Later in December, RSS launched satyagraha against ban in 1948 in Delhi, which was led by the then Sarkarywah Bhaiyyaji Dani. Around 78,000 activists participated in satyagraha, which was suspended February 21, 1949. On July 12, 1949 ban on RSS was lifted. During the same period the constitution of RSS came into being. Government had appointed a committee of Justice Atmacharan to look into assassination of Mahatma Gandhi.

 

The committee submitted its findings on January 10, 1949, which categorically said that RSS was not involved in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. Justice Khosal of Punjab High Court conducted an inquiry independently, which also expressed the same view. In 1969 Justice T S Kapoor of the Supreme Court came to the same conclusion. (Hyperlink copies of reports of the commission) 1932 - Ban Sangha resolution - Ramabai Tambe - first attempt to ban RSS (Rakesh Sinha Book ref. Need to discuss this point. The then central province government had announced a ban on participation of government employees in RSS activities. It was not RSS ban as such. Checked in Rkesh Sinha book). In the fifties, Swayamsewaks with the inspiration from Shri Guruji started working in various walks of nation. Accordingly Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Bhartiya Jan Sangh, Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh and other social organizations began to work in their respective fields.

 

A series of such organizations were started by Swayamsewaks in the course of time, which is now called as Sagh Shrushti, which now has around 40 such organizations. While RSS was growing as an organization, it was also actively involved in other works like relief work in Assam quake, Bihar flood, cow protection and Kashmir. In August 1954, a batch of 100 Swayamsewaks, led by Vinayakrao Apte helped in liberation of Dadra, Nagar Haveli. A new memorial of Dr Hedgewar in Reshimbag in Nagpur was inaugurated in 1962. In the following year, Eknath Ji Ranade was assigned with the responsibility of constructing a memorial of Swami Vivekanand in Kanyakumari. Shri Guruji died on June 5, 1973. He had appointed Balasaheb Deoras as Sarsanghchalak. Emergency was imposed in 1974 and RSS was banned by the then Indira Gandhi government. Loksangharsha Samiti was formed to oppose the emergency at the initiative of RSS and thousands of workers, including top RSS leaders, were jailed under MISA. Ban on RSS was lifted on March 22, 1977. RSS workers resumed their work with new enthusiasm and a special national level drive was undertaken to awaken the people in 1977.

 

RSS observed birth centenary of Dr Hedgewar in 1988-89 when a massive network of `Sewakarya’ was launched. RSS banned it for the third time in December 1992 when the structure of Babri Masjid, a symbol of slavery, got demolished. However, it was lifted in June 1993. The day was observed as Chetna Din all over the country. On March 10, 1994, Sarsanghchalak appointed Prof Rajendra Singh, popularly known as Rajju Bhaiyya, as Sarsanghchalak. He became the fourth Sarsanghchalak. On March 10, 2000, Rajju Bhaiyya appointed K Sudarshan as fifth Sarsanghchalak. RSS completed 75 years in 2000 when a nationwide programme to contact people was undertaken. The contact was established in more than four lakh villages. Birth centenary of Shri Guruji was marked by organising Hindu gatherings all over the country with special focus on social harmony. The year was celebrated as `Samajik Samrasta Varsh’ to spread the message of equality. On March 21, 2009, K Sudarshan appointed Dr Mohanrao Bhagwat as Sarsanghchalak.