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RSS volunteers participated in various political and social movements including the freedom movement and the organization became the leading Hindu nationalist organization in India. By the 1990s, the group had established numerous schools, charities and clubs to propagate its ideology. RSS volunteers are also known for their role in the relief and rehabilitation work during natural calamities and for running more than 100,000 service programs in education, health care, rural development, tribal emancipation, village self-sufficiency, and the rehabilitation of lepers and special needs children.
Some critics have referred to the RSS as a Hindu nationalist organization. It was banned by the British and then after independence three times by the Government of India- first in 1948 when Nathuram Godse, a former member , assassinatedMahatma Gandhi. then during emergency(1975-1978) and after Demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992.
History
RSS was founded in 1925 by Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, who was a doctor in the central Indian city of Nagpur. Hedgewar as a medical student inKolkata had been a part of the revolutionary activities of the Anushilan Samiti and Jugantar striving to free India from British rule. He had been charged with sedition in 1921 by the British Administration and was imprisoned for a year.After returning to Nagpur, he was briefly a member of Indian National Congress before he left it in 1925, to form the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. After the formation of the RSS, Hedgewar kept the organization from having any direct affiliation with any of the political organisations then fighting British rule. But Hedgewar and teams of volunteers, took part in theIndian National Congress, led movements against the British rule. Hedgewar was arrested in the Jungle Satyagraha agitation in 1931 and served a second term in prison.
The RSS was established as a educational body whose objective was to train a group of Hindus, who on the basis of their character would work to unite the Hindu community so that India could become an independent country and a creative society Encyclopedia Britannica opines that "Hedgewar was heavily influenced by the writings of the Hindu nationalist ideologue Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and adopted much of his rhetoric concerning the need for the creation of a 'Hindu nation'. Contradicting its own statement Britannica also claims that RSS is established to foster unity among Hindu youths of all castes and classes" Hedgewar formed the RSS as a disciplined cadre who were dedicated to independence and the protection of Hindu political, cultural, and religious interests. During World War II the RSS' members openly admired Adolf Hitler in order to counter British rule in India.
Activities during partition
The Partition of India was a very traumatic event in the young nation's history with millions of Sikhs, Hindus, and Muslimsattempting to escape the violence and carnage that followed
Noted Gandhian and recipient of the highest civilian award in India, Bharat Ratna, Dr. Bhagwan Das commended the role of the "high-spirited and self-sacrificing boys" of the RSS in protecting the newly formed Republic of India, from a planned coup to topple the Jawaharlal Nehru Administration in Delhi
Shakha
"Shakha" is Hindi for "branch". Most of the organizational work of the RSS is done through the coordination of shakhas or branches. Theseshakhas are run for 1 hour in public places. In 2004, more than 60,000 shakhas were run throughout India. However the number of Shakas has fallen by over 10,000 since the fall of the BJP led government in 2004.According to Vagish Issar, RSS's media representative in Delhi, the number of Shakas has fallen to 39,823 as of January 2010.Local leaders have asserted links to the casteist policies of the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Samajwadi Party have driven members away.
The shakhas conduct various activities for its volunteers which include physical fitness activities through yoga, exercises and games. It has other activities which emphasize on qualities like civic sense, social service, community living and patriotism. The volunteers are trained in first aid and in rescue and rehabilitation operations. The volunteers are also encouraged to get involved in the developmental activities of the village or locality.
IT Milan
For swayamsevaks who work in IT(Information Technology) related sectors another form of Shakha is set, called as "IT Milan". These are weekly meetings unlike the regular Shakhas which run daily. IT Milans are observed in many IT cities in India – Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi,Hyderabad, Pune. There are as many as 3,000 techies in Bangalore who meet regularly this way. This 60–90 minutes weekly gathering includes a Prayer, Surya Namaskara, Yoga, games, song and sermon. IT Milans are user friendly; the prayer is available as a printout, usually everyone is addressed in English, and there are enough people to aid newcomers on the Surya Namaskara and seven yoga asanas. These exercises have been designed for IT professionals who suffer from chronic lower backache due to long hours at computers. It also helps that their employers respect their RSS links. Games are played during the Milan to relieve tension in the minds of IT Swayamsevaks and foster team spirit. An IT Milan also serves as a forum for discussion on various issues of national and international importance like the Copenhagen Summit and West Bengal government's decision to grant religion based reservation to Muslims.
Mission
The mission of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has been described as the revitalization of Indian value system based on universalism and peace and prosperity to all. Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the worldview that the whole world is one family, propounded by the ancient thinkers of India, is considered as the ultimate mission of the organization.
But the immediate focus, the leaders believe, is on the Hindu renaissance, which would build an egalitarian society and a strong India that could propound this philosophy. Hence, the focus is on social reform, economic upliftment of the downtrodden and the protection of cultural diversity of the natives in India. The organization says, it aspires to unite all Hindus and build a strong India, which could contribute to the welfare of the world. In the words of RSS ideologue and the second head of the RSS, M S Golwalkar, "in order to be able to contribute our unique knowledge to mankind, in order to be able to live and strive for the unity and welfare of the world, we stand before the world as a self-confident, resurgent and mighty nation".
