Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the centenary celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as Chief Guest today. The event will be held at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi at 10:30 AM, according to a government statement.
On this occasion, the prime minister will release a specially designed commemorative postage stamp and coin highlighting the RSS’ contributions to the nation and will also address the gathering.
“The centenary celebrations not only honour the historical achievements of the RSS, but also highlight its enduring contributions to India’s cultural journey and its message of national unity,” said the government statement.
Founded on on Vijaya Dashami in 1925 in Nagpur, Maharashtra, by Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the RSS was established as a volunteer-based organisation with the goal of fostering cultural awareness, discipline, service, and social responsibility among citizens, the statement said.
Modi and the RSS
PM Modi, an RSS pracharak himself, made a mark as an able organiser before shifting to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which draws its ideological inspiration from the Hindutva organisation.
The prime minister has repeatedly spoken about the influence of the RSS on his life. In a podcast with Lex Fridman in March, PM Modi said the teachings of Ramakrishna Mission, Swami Vivekananda, and the service-driven philosophy of the RSS played a crucial role in shaping him.
“More than anything, the RSS provides you with a clear direction toward what can truly be called a purpose in life. Secondly, the nation is everything, and serving the people is akin to serving God,” Modi told Lex Fridman in the podcast released on March 16, 2025.
On March 30, Narendra Modi became the first Prime Minister of India to visit the RSS headquarters in Nagpur, Maharashtra. Modi visited the memorial of RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar at the Sangh’s headquarters in Reshim Bagh. He was accompanied by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at RSS headquarters.
‘National reconstruction’
More than anything, the RSS provides you with a clear direction toward what can truly be called a purpose in life.
The RSS is a unique people-nurtured movement for national reconstruction. Its rise has been seen as a response to centuries of foreign rule, with its continuing growth attributed to the emotional resonance of its vision of India’s national glory, rooted in Dharma, the statement said.
“A core emphasis of the Sangh is on patriotism and national character formation. It seeks to instil devotion to the motherland, discipline, self-restraint, courage, and heroism. The Sangh’s ultimate goal is the “Sarvangeena Unnati” (all-round development) of India, to which every Swayamsevak dedicates himself,” it said.
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