The Lesser Halves

At Rashtra Sevika Samiti shakhas, women are offered empowerment—but only to a certain extent. Their roles remain largely defined: mothers, cultural custodians and loyal citizens

- Pritha Vashishth

SUVARNA tightened the pleats of her saree, her movements precise and efficient.

There was no time for idle chatter, her eyes fixed on the task at hand. Around her, vessels clattered as she garnished food, preparing offerings for the ancestors.

The calendar nailed to the wall was not Gregorian but a Hindu panchang (almanac), marking the last day of pitra paksha, a fortnight dedicated to remembering one's forefathers. She had been taught that during this period, the veil separating the living and the departed thins out, and in that brief interlude, ancestors watch over their families, awaiting offerings.

It was a Sunday, a reprieve from her responsibilities as director at Wardha Nagrik Bank. And yet, in Wardha, Suvarna is better known as the pramukh (head) of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, a role that intertwines her personal life with the organisation's mission of nurturing Hindu women as pillars of the nation.

Nothing detracts Suvarna from the duties entrusted by the Samiti. On Monday, with Navratri sthapan arriving early, she walks nearly a kilometre to the Ashtabhuja Mandir, a temple said to have been sculpted under the guidance of Laxmibai Kelkar, who founded the Samiti on October 25, 1936, amid the growing tide of nationalism. This founding moment was no accident; it emerged from Kelkar's determination to create a space for women within the broader Hindutva ecosystem, inspired by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar's Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), established in 1925. Kelkar, widowed at 27 with eight children, had approached Hedgewar seeking involvement for women in the RSS, but he advised her to form a parallel organisation. Thus, on Vijayadashami in Wardha, the Samiti was born, emphasising women's roles in cultural preservation and national service, distinct yet complementary to the all-male RSS.