New Delhi, Oct 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday praised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on its centenary celebrations, calling it a resilient organisation that remained committed to the principle of “nation first” despite several attacks and challenges over the years.
Speaking at the centenary event, Modi highlighted the RSS’s role in fostering national unity, removing divisions of caste and creed, and promoting an inclusive society. He noted that the Sangh actively supported India’s freedom struggle by sheltering freedom fighters, and that many of its leaders were jailed during British rule.
“The RSS has never been bitter, despite attempts to make false cases against them, attempts to ban them, and other challenges, because we are part of a society where we accept both the good and the bad,” Modi said, in an apparent reference to the ban on the RSS after Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination. He recalled that former RSS chief Madhav Golwalkar was falsely implicated and jailed, yet maintained calm wisdom, stating: “At times, the tongue may get caught under the teeth, but we do not break teeth.”
Modi also emphasised the Sangh’s steadfast trust in democracy and constitutional institutions, which helped its members face challenges, including during the Emergency.
As part of the centenary celebrations, Modi released a special Rs 100 commemorative coin and a postage stamp. The coin depicts Bharat Mata in Varada Mudra with a lion on one side and swayamsevaks bowing in devotion on the other—a first-time depiction of Bharat Mata on Indian currency, the prime minister said, calling it a moment of historical significance.
The prime minister underlined that the RSS, founded on Vijaya Dashami in 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in Nagpur, continues a tradition of patriotism and service spanning thousands of years. “Unity in diversity has always been the soul of India. If this principle is broken, India will weaken. Despite challenges, the RSS stands strong and is tirelessly serving the nation,” he added.
The centenary celebrations were organised by the Ministry of Culture and attended by RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Modi, who began his public life as an RSS ‘pracharak’, credited the organisation for shaping his early organisational skills before he joined the BJP, which draws ideological inspiration from the Sangh. (Agencies)
