Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part in the centenary celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Wednesday at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre in New Delhi. The programme is scheduled to begin at 10:30 AM.
On the occasion, the Prime Minister will release a commemorative postage stamp and a coin to mark 100 years of the RSS. He is also expected to address the gathering.
The RSS, founded in 1925 in Nagpur by Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, was established as a volunteer organisation with a focus on discipline, service and social responsibility. Over the years, it has grown into one of the country’s most influential socio-cultural movements, with its network extending into education, health, disaster relief and community service.
RSS leaders describe the organisation as a “people-nurtured movement for national reconstruction” that emerged in response to foreign rule and has continued to expand on the basis of its vision of India’s cultural and national resurgence. The Sangh’s activities, they note, are centred on developing patriotism, character formation and devotion to the motherland.
Through its various affiliates, the RSS has been involved in relief efforts during floods, earthquakes and cyclones, while also running initiatives aimed at empowering youth, women and farmers.
The centenary celebrations will reflect on the organisation’s journey over the past 100 years and its stated goal of contributing to India’s “Sarvangeena Unnati” — or all-round development.
