Says Bharat Mata featured first time on Indian currency
New Delhi, Oct 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday unveiled a special Rs 100 commemorative coin and a postage stamp to mark the centenary celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), describing the organisation as the “embodiment of timeless national consciousness” and a key partner in nation-building.
At the ceremony held at Ambedkar International Centre in Delhi, Modi highlighted the historical significance of the coin, which carries the national emblem on one side and, for the first time in independent India’s history, an image of Bharat Mata on the other. The depiction shows Bharat Mata in ‘Varad Mudra’, blessing swayamsevaks standing with folded hands beside a lion. The coin also bears the Sangh’s motto: “Rashtraya Swaha, Idam Rashtraya, Idam Na Mama.”
The Prime Minister said the RSS, founded on Vijayadashami in 1925 by Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, was not a new creation but a manifestation of India’s eternal national consciousness. “Vyakti nirmaan se rashtra nirmaan (nation-building through character-building) has been the Sangh’s path,” he said, citing the shakha as a unique institution shaping individual transformation and social service.
Recalling the contribution of Hedgewar and swayamsevaks in the freedom struggle, Modi noted that many were jailed for their role. He also mentioned attempts to malign the Sangh through false cases, including the imprisonment of Madhav Sadashivrao Golwalkar. “Yet, the Sangh never allowed bitterness to take root. It always worked with faith in the Constitution and society,” he said.
Modi lauded the organisation’s role in serving refugees after Partition, responding during crises, and fostering unity by fighting social evils such as caste discrimination and untouchability. He praised affiliates like Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, Sewa Bharti, Vidya Bharti and Ekal Vidyalayas for preserving traditions in remote areas while empowering tribal communities, women, and marginalised sections.
Calling RSS akin to a river that nourishes every region it touches, he stressed its spirit of “Nation First” across diverse fields including education, agriculture, social welfare, and labour. Modi also underlined its Panch Parivartan (five changes) framework for future nation-building, focusing on social harmony, civic sense, cultural values, environmental protection, and self-awareness.
As India moves towards its goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047, Modi said the Sangh’s role would remain crucial. Extending greetings to all swayamsevaks, he remarked: “Guided by these resolutions, the Sangh now begins its journey into its next century.”
The centenary event, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti and Vijayadashami, was attended by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, former President Ram Nath Kovind, Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
