Understanding RSS’ – ‘The ideology, organization and work of RSS’
‘RSS shaping individuals, communities, society’
As Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh sets foot into its centennial, Sah-sarkaryavah Arun Kumar elaborates on its conviction on Bharat being a Hindu Rashtra, her civilizational ethos, multiple national languages and emphasises on Bharat’s view of ‘Vasudaiva Kutumbakam’ (World as one big family) and its golden era.
He spoke to ABP TV network in the programme ‘Understanding RSS’ as part of ‘Ideas of India’ summit 2025 on February 22.
Excerpts from discussion…
Q: Can you explain what are RSS ideology, organization and its work?
A: To understand Sangh, one must understand its ideas, organization and work. Only then, does everything become clear. I make one request to everyone: look at Sangh through Sangh’s perspective and try to understand it from the Sangh’s eyes.
Our problem is that perception on Sangh reaches everywhere before Sangh reaches. Eventually, when we arrive, we have to answer many questions. But the greatest joy is that no matter how many questions, once we reach someone, they come close to Sangh. After that they become part of the Sangh. Then we face no difficulty with them.
I will present all three aspects of Sangh. To understand Sangh’s ideology, it can be summed up in one simple sentence which contains one word that often leads to so much misunderstanding. Our fundamental conviction is: Bharat is a nation, an ancient nation, a Sanatan nation and a Hindu nation.
When we say this, there are three ideas prevalent. Some people believe that when British arrived, then the process of nation-formation began and that is why after seventy-five years, many people said, “youngest born nation of the world”. At the time of independence, someone said, “Bharat is a nation in the making”. So, many people think that when British came, for the first time this became a nation and the constitution made the nation. Sometimes this thought arises in people’s minds.
Another idea is that Bharat is not a nation at all. As children, we proudly used to say, “Bharat is a subcontinent”. It is a collection of many nations. Or, it is an artificial nation. This is entirely Western nation-state mind-set. When Europeans came to Bharat, their concept of a nation was landmass, the race living there, its language, religion and an administrative setup to serve mutual interests of that race. These five things formed a nation according to Europeans like nation of French people, German people and English people.
When they came to Bharat, they saw so many languages, so much diversity and thought, “This cannot be one nation”. That is why, in this country, an idea emerged that Bharat is an amalgamation of sixteen nationalities and fifty-six sub-nationalities. If they want to live together, it’s fine. If they don’t want to, then they can exercise the right to secession, plebiscite. Such ideas arose from this European thinking.
Our belief is that both these ideas are incorrect. Bharat is a nation and our nation is different from others in the world.
Our nation has a unique feature that must be understood from Bharat’s perspective. When we talk about the nation, people are the nation. State is not the nation. Rabindranath Tagore famously said, society is at the root of nationhood in Bharat whereas in the West, the root of nationhood lies in the state. To understand Bharat, one must understand that this is a country where since the Vedic era, there has been a concept of nation.
The idea of the nation existed in Vedas, Mahabharat, Ramayan and in every era, Rashtratva (nationhood) existed. The nation came first and states were formed later. States were created as per necessity and their forms changed over time.
Bharat is a nation with continuous living for thousands of years. If someone asks how old were Kashi or Ujjain, one thing is certain: there is no other city in the world with continuous, living journey as these. This is an eternal nation, a Sanatan nation. Read the Ramayan, Mahabharat, Megasthenes, Fa-Hien and then read Europeans who came later.
Meenakshi Jain has written a book, The India They Saw, in four volumes. If one reads it, one realizes that over six hundred foreign travellers have described Bharat in the same way: diverse languages, food but one nation. People made the nation. And, Hindu is not a religion. When we say Hindu, it is a term that means reverence for the motherland, all paths to attain the divine are true and everyone has the freedom to follow their own path. This is our nationhood; this is Hinduness or Hindutva.
Hindu should not be viewed from a religious lens. Our social life has seen many ups and downs. When we were at our best, it was due to our own actions. Dr. Hedgewar, who founded the Sangh, used to say: do not blame others for our decline. If our nation has to rise, we must transform the society’s destiny. And, to transform society’s destiny, society itself must rise. What are needed for this? Four things: a sense of nationhood, belief that the nation is supreme, spirit of selflessness for the nation, unity and organization within the society and discipline. If we want to create such a society, it will not happen through slogans and speeches. It will not happen through protests.
One must work at individual level to build such a society. Society changes only through individual transformation. This is RSS organization. The Sangh said, “Create individuals as you wish the society to be”. Increase number of such individuals and at an optimal level, society’s environment will change. Society will reinvent itself and move forward. This is Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh as an organization.
RSS started in Nagpur, shakhas (daily congregations) and milans (weekly get-together) across the country. We have reached every state, district and urban divisions. Our target is that in rural areas, we have created mandals and bastis (settlements) for population of 10,000 each in cities as well. We have to reach there. Out of 120,000 such units, we have reached about 65 per cent of them.
By the centennial year, our target is to reach all such units. There are approximately 50 lakh (five million) swayamsevaks. When we say in action, we have three expectations from swayamsevaks or volunteers. First, whatever you expect from society and the nation, bring it into your own life. Your words should not speak, your life should speak. As a responsible and patriotic citizen, whatever expectations you have must reflect in your own life.
Second, wherever you live, participate in whatever good work that’s happening or cater to needs of the society, community or the neighbourhood. A crisis may arise in the society, war, disaster or there may be COVID. In such trying times, there may be good social initiatives, associate yourself with them.
And third, we tell every person to do at least one such task in life where they use their talent, ability and skills for the society but do not earn money from it. Contribute some time or money to society. Swayamsevaks choose work or field based on their interests and skills, determining their own area of contribution.
Today, RSS swayamsevaks along with the society have set up more than 50 organizations and 500 institutions working in different fields of public life. There are many diverse fields where there could be local challenges or nationwide issues. Engaging in these is the ideology, organization and work of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
Q: Your opponents repeatedly claim that RSS is a rigid organization, hardliner that does not change with time. Is this true?
A: Let me clarify that we have no opponents. Our work is based on Sarvesham Avidrodhen (without opposition to anyone). We believe there are only two types of people: those who have already joined and those that are yet to join the Sangh. So, when we feel that someone is an opponent, we consider it as our shortcoming that we haven’t reached them as yet. The day we reach them they too will become one of us. So, there is no opponent.
Secondly, perception of the Sangh reaches people before the Sangh itself does. They form an opinion based on that perception. But I believe that as we continue our efforts to reach out and they come closer or we reach them, their thinking will change.
And one thing is certain: a rigid and extremist ideology cannot survive for a hundred years. It becomes irrelevant. You can be sure of this. No rigid or extremist ideology can sustain itself for such a long time in social life. And, sheer variety of people associated with Sangh itself is proof of this.
Q: RSS completes a hundred years, you mentioned that if it were rigid, it wouldn’t have lasted this long. How do you view this hundred years’ journey?
A: There are some aspects of this journey that bring satisfaction. But there is also one dissatisfaction.
Q: What brings satisfaction?
A: Satisfaction comes from the fact that even after a hundred years, Sangh remains the Sangh. The principles with which we started are still there even today. Sangh is still young. It is not an organization of old people. The new generation continues to join in the same way. This is a source of satisfaction for the Sangh. The society has accepted Sangh. A large section of society is now willing to associate itself with Sangh.
Dissatisfaction, however, lays in the fact that Dr. Hedgewar, (founder of Sangh) once said that the Sangh was not established merely to celebrate its centenary. Our goal is to complete our work as soon as possible. Our dissatisfaction is that the society we envisioned, the society we aimed to build, has taken a hundred years and will still take some more time. It should not have taken this long. This is our only dissatisfaction.
Q: What is behind people increasingly being drawn to the idea of nationalism, discussions about Sanatan (eternal traditions) in the backdrop of momentous societal changes in recent years?
A: I believe that after independence, we got the opportunity to determine our own destiny. For a thousand years, we were engaged in continuous struggle. From Turkish and Mughal invasions to British rule, our institutions collapsed. Under British rule, we suffered loss of memory and we forgot our own identity. Over past seventy-five years, as we regained control over our fate, people’s curiosity to know their true identity has increased.
Rising national consciousness, growing pride in our culture is a positive sign. There is increasing desire in the society to understand Bharat’s thousands of years’ spiritually-driven existence and to live by it.
When you look at younger generation, their music presentations or when I observe organizations like Art of Living, Jaggi Vasudev Ji, other initiatives or even when people visit Sangh, they ask two fundamental questions: first, they want to know about the country and culture; secondly, they want to know how they can contribute.
And, I believe that politics of appeasement should be rejected by all. This policy of appeasement, starting from Minto – Morley Award to Khilafat Movement was the reason for partition of Bharat. It was very unfortunate. For thousands of years, foreign rule did not break the nation, but in 1947, Bharat was partitioned due to this politics of appeasement.
I believe that as national consciousness rises in society, this politics of appeasement was bound to end. That is why we see this transformation today.
Q: Since BJP came to power at centre and states, what has changed for RSS? Is it true that people’s expectations from RSS have increased significantly? Many feel that if they have any government-related work, they should approach RSS because it is super powerful and can get things done. How does RSS handle such expectations?
A: No, I believe that core work of Sangh is to connect individuals, and this connection is built on affection and friendship.
Presence of BJP government does not change Sangh’s work. The Sangh’s efforts will always be based on dedication and hard work of its swayamsevaks. At the core of Sangh’s work is what we call ‘culture and texture’. RSS has always distanced itself from publicity. We maintain anonymity, avoid self-promotion and work with selflessness.
Today, Sangh has become centre of attraction and sometimes, many things are published in media that have no connection with Sangh. Because of this, we often have to answer questions which are not related to us. This has increased our difficulties to an extent.
Regarding your second point, People do come with their expectations. But when they come in touch with us, reality unfolds. Eventually, the ones who stay are those who become one of us. People come with different views. One thing we do ensure is that if someone shares some genuine views, we convey them to our volunteers working in the political sphere. However, the organization (Sangh) generally does not get involved in personal matters or individual expectations.
Those who come here wonder within a few days if they have come to the wrong place and after that, they begin to find the correct path. So, that does not bother us much.
Q: There is a word “perception” and it is very powerful. A well-known global magazine, The Economist, recently wrote an article titled, ‘Inside the RSS: The World’s Most Powerful Volunteer Group’.
This article by The Economist became quite popular. I want to read an excerpt from it and then ask you a question. The article states:
“To be close to the RSS is to be close to power. A former head of India’s space agency was in the audience, as was at least one billionaire. And if Mr. Bhagwat’s speech echoed themes, the loved of India’s Prime Minister, Mr. Modi, that is because he is one of the club. He joined the RSS when he was eight and was a full-time RSS Pracharak until he entered politics in his thirties. Since being elected Prime Minister in 2014, Mr. Modi has filled his cabinet with RSS men.”
How would you respond to this accusation that Modi has filled his cabinet with RSS members?
A: Modi Ji becoming Prime Minister is result of the dedication of Jan Sangh and BJP from 1951 to 2014. Their journey spans 63 years.
As a political party, it contested elections, became a recognized national party, started with just four MPs and eventually reached the stage where he became Prime Minister in 2014. This is the outcome of party’s dedication.
As for claim that Modi Ji has “filled” his cabinet with RSS people: people elected their representatives through our democratic and parliamentary system and Modi Ji has selected his cabinet from among those elected representatives.
It is not about RSS members; it is about those chosen through parliamentary democratic process. They are representatives of people, people have voted them, selected their representatives and from among them, Modi Ji formed his cabinet. That is how we should look at it.
As for people coming closer to RSS, yes, many people do. That is the result of our outreach efforts. If an industrialist or a space scientist attends our programmes, it is because we have been engaging with them for years.
We build relationships over years and we connect with them, communicate, cultivate relationships and eventually bring them closer to RSS. That is why they attend our programmes. It’s not due to any power shift.
This has been our practice even when BJP was not in power. Our outreach work existed even back then, though it was smaller. Now, with more volunteers, our outreach is broader. This is part of Sangh’s work. People don’t come to the RSS to get closer to power; they come because of our efforts and relationships. Those who have worked in those fields have naturally found their place in Modi Ji’s cabinet. Similarly, those working within Sangh are helping with Sangh’s growth.
Q: Sangh works in so many areas like running schools for tribal girls, institutions for specially-abled people. But why do you remain silent about these efforts? Why not talk about them more?
A: There are two reasons for this. First, Sangh focuses on man-making and nation-building. It is the society that does actual work, and we facilitate it. These efforts are not just ours; we collaborate with the society. We just work together with the society. It would not be right for RSS alone to take all the credit. We initiate and collaborate with the society. Many social organizations also supported and worked together. We cannot claim credit as many have contributed.
Secondly, Sangh believes that when work is done, recognition follows naturally. We should not promote our work more than necessary because excessive publicity leads to increased expectations and challenges. Work should be publicized only to the extent it naturally gets attention.
I also want to say that media has a role in bringing forward people and efforts that do not seek attention. It is your responsibility to find and highlight such work.
Q: In last hundred years, what are the three things that have changed in RSS?
A: Rather than listing out what has changed, I will tell you what has not changed. Everything else has evolved. There are only three constants in RSS:
Our ideology – That remains unchanged.
Karyapaddhati (Our working method) Working collectively with discipline, self-reliance and decentralization.
Our culture and texture – Simplicity, transparency, integrity, and moral purity within society.
These three aspects have not changed. Everything else has evolved, including our dress, programmes and training methods. As society has transformed, so has the RSS in every possible way, except for these three core aspects.
Q: Across Bharat, apart from two biggest political parties (BJP and Congress), RSS is the only organization that has presence from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. How do people join RSS? If I want to join, do I have to take a test or an interview? What is the process?
A: There are only two ways to join RSS. Generally, the RSS is actively reaching out to people. However, individuals can also directly try to connect with us.
Nowadays, we have Join RSS section on our website. Every month, over ten thousand people send their names and addresses expressing their interest to join RSS.
Q: So, anyone can join?
A: Yes, absolutely. There are no prerequisites to join RSS. Anyone can be a part of it and there is no membership fee or any such requirement.
As for as how we connect with people, we do so through friendship and a sense of belonging. We foster a feeling of responsibility towards the society and nation in people’s hearts. Those who join gradually become more involved and encourage others to join as well.
Secondly, we tell every Swayamsevak (volunteer) to connect at least one new person to Sangh every month. Wherever they are, they try to bring in new people within their area. On an average, each Swayamsevak brings in two to four new members every year. Currently, we have Shakhas (branches) and Milans (gatherings) in about 70,000–75,000 locations across the country. People make efforts to expand to new areas and add new members. It’s a continuous process.
Q: So, join through friendship?
A: We connect people through friendships. People join willingly and we don’t have to force anyone. In fact, we often don’t even realize when someone becomes like us and starts bringing in others.
Q: You talk about Nation First. In our country, some states prioritize State First. When it comes to languages, there are several states which prioritise their own language. For example, Tamil Nadu or several states in Northeast emphasize on their own languages. There is some resistance to Hindi as a national language. What is your perspective on this? Should every state adopt the national language? Should there be a unifying linguistic thread across the nation?
A: I believe that conflict over languages is unfortunate. Every state should develop its regional language. Governance, administration, and judiciary including lower courts, session courts and high courts should function in the state’s language. We have no issue with that. Additionally, Bharat does not have any one language. All languages spoken in Bharat are national languages.
Our second Sarsanghchalak, Shri Guruji was once asked in Tamil Nadu about Hindi as national language. He responded that all Indian languages are national languages. Every language embodies sentiment of the nation, not just of a state. Our country has many languages but a single unifying emotion. Therefore, all languages should be elevated.
As part of Bharat’s administrative setup, we do need a common national language. Historically, Sanskrit served this role, but today, that is not feasible. So, Hindi is the natural choice. If not Hindi, some other common national language will emerge. But if we do not adopt an Indian language, a foreign language like English will take its place. That would not be a “national language” but a “foreign language”.
Moreover, Shri Guruji had warned that if we accept a foreign language as the common language, even regional languages will be endangered.
Today, when I visit different states, I see that regional language schools: Marathi in Maharashtra, Tamil in Tamil Nadu and Bengali in Bengal are struggling because people are shifting to English medium education.
This is very unfortunate. All Bharatiya languages are national languages and governance in every state should be conducted in respective national language. Over time, Hindi should naturally emerge as common national language without any imposition. Forced adoption leads to resistance.
Sometimes, opposition to Hindi is politically motivated. But I don’t think we need to worry about it too much. Society is intelligent enough. Even in states where resistance exists, people are voluntarily learning Hindi. For instance, in Tamil Nadu, Hindi Pracharini Sabha enrols lakhs of students in Hindi courses every year. So, this is not something we should be overly concerned about.
Q: Many people say that this is golden age of RSS. BJP has been in power for three consecutive terms. The BJP is often seen as political wing of the RSS. Given this, has the agenda of RSS been implemented or something is still pending?
A: When it comes to agendas, BJP has its own. Bharatiya Jan Sangh was founded with Article 370 as its central issue. It’s very first resolution was to abrogate Article 370. Similarly, BJP passed the Palampur resolution in 1987 committing to build Ram Mandir.
I believe these were their agendas which they were responsible for fulfilling once they had the capability and majority. I lived in Jammu & Kashmir for many years and people there were convinced that the moment BJP had majority in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, Article 370 would be repealed. While there might have been confusion elsewhere, in J&K, there was absolute clarity about this. Now that it has happened, it was part of their party’s agenda.
Golden age of Bharat and that of Sangh are no different. When Bharat enters its golden era becoming a fully developed, prosperous and responsible global power, or what we call “Vishwa guru”, that will be Sangh’s golden era as well. We are working towards that goal.
Q: BJP’s rise is not the reason for Sangh’s golden age?
A: Sangh’s success is tied to Bharat’s progress. We have a song that says: Path ka antim Lakshya nahi he singhasan chadhte jana, sab samaj ko liye sath me aage he badhte jana (Sitting on a throne is not our final goal; moving forward with society is.) Our goal is not political power. We want to build a society united in patriotism, rising above caste divisions where every citizen considers others as brothers and is dedicated to the nation. When such a society emerges, Bharat attains supreme glory and strength fulfilling its responsibility towards global welfare (Kr̥iṇvanto Viśvamāryam) that will be Sangh’s golden era. The Sangh and Bharat are not separate.
We do not see Sangh as just an organization: it is a means to transform society. We are not merely building an institution; we are shaping a society.
Q: India has been saying ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (World is One Family) for centuries. We are now witnessing problems, especially abroad, where tolerance towards outsiders is on decline.
Countries like US and UK are developing sentiments that immigrants take away their resources. In some places, demographic changes are causing resistance. Many Indians face difficulties due to these changing attitudes.
Donald Trump promoted “America First” and “Make America Great Again”. Should India adopt a similar approach? How does Sangh view this rising issue of tolerance versus intolerance?
A: I believe each country has a different perspective on this issue. In Europe and US, immigrants arrived as refugees. Ideally, they should have integrated, adapted traditions and customs of places that gave them refuge, showing respect for local practices. Instead of assimilating, they started imposing rules like Sharia law which led to reaction from the native population.
Those who migrated to these countries came from different ethnicities. Their problem is different in nature. Every country, including the US follows its own path and deals with challenges accordingly. Each nation seeks solutions to maintain its identity. I believe every country has a different perspective and Bharat should think from its own standpoint.
In Bharat, Muslims and Christians are mostly native to this land. Some of our own people converted leading to certain perceptions over time. It is essential to remember that they are our own people. Unlike the West where separate ethnicities exist, in Bharat, majority of the population is native. So, we need to look at it differently.
Secondly, every nation prioritizing its national interests is natural. This should not lead to hostility towards others. As long as a country considers its own well-being without developing animosity towards others, it is completely justified.
Q: What is happening with Hindus in Bangladesh? We have seen similar incidents in Pakistan. Some argue that sporadic incidents against Muslims also occur in Bharat leading to perception that minorities everywhere are in danger. Would you agree with this statement?
A: I don’t think that is true in Bharat. The situation in Bangladesh and Pakistan led to massive displacement. In 1947, Hindus made up 32 per cent of Bangladesh’s population. Today, the number has dwindled to just eight per cent. On the contrary, in Bharat, Muslim population which was around 8 -9 per cent in 1947 has grown to 14 – 15 per cent today.
So how can you compare the two? What was the percentage of minorities in Pakistan at the time of its formation? Today, they face issues like blasphemy and systematic persecution. Taking isolated incidents in Bharat and generalizing them is not justified because we consider all paths as true path. Unfortunately, sometimes people consider our generosity as our weakness.
Due to that some difficulties arise but we have to find solutions for that too. We will find solutions for that too gradually under the constitution of our country. We will also solve all these issues, but what happened to Hindu community or Christians or Buddhists in Bangladesh and Pakistan cannot be compared with rest of the people living in Bharat. I think comparing the two is wrong. I have already said that each country has its own unique perspective and we must analyse the situation accordingly rather than making generalized statements.
Q: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that RSS is “Vat Vruksha” (Banyan Tree) and the organization inspired millions to dedicate their lives to the nation. How does RSS feel when one of its own swayamsevaks becomes Prime Minister? Would you not call this golden era of RSS?
A: We certainly take both pride and joy when one of our swayamsevak rises to top in their respective fields.
It is natural to feel a sense of accomplishment and happiness. As I said before, for us, golden era will only come when Bharat becomes the nation, we envision it to be. That is our ultimate aspiration.
To understand RSS, one must go back to its founding days. Dr. Hedgewar once said that if Bharat becomes the nation we dream of, and history records that RSS was responsible for it, then we would have failed. RSS does not seek to immortalize its name in history. That is not our objective. This is why we never claim credit for anything. Our goal is to create a society that builds the nation.
Our vision is to establish a society where patriotism, discipline, organization, selflessness, sacrifice and dedication are the guiding principles. The day Bharat embodies these values it will be our true golden era. The society itself will shape the nation not the RSS.
Our task is to foster an environment conducive to this transformation. Over past 100 years, we have neither deviated from our path nor faltered. With unwavering support of society, we believe that the day is not far when our envisioned Bharat will become a reality marking the dawn of its golden era.
We will create that together.
ends