HEDGEWAR TO BHAGWAT: A CENTURY OF TRANSFORMING RSS THROUGH ADAPTATION

From secret drills in Nagpur to televised centenary forums in Delhi, the RSS's first hundred years trace an arc from insular cadre to public adviser—reflecting India's own journey between tradition, pluralism and modern statehood.

- TDG NETWORK

Few organisations in modern India provoke as much discussion as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Founded in 1925 by Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in Nagpur, the RSS was created to inculcate discipline and unity among Hindu youth at a time of colonial rule and communal tensions.

Over the past century, it has grown from a local group of swayamsevaks (volunteers) into a massive socio-cultural network with millions of members and deep influence on Indian politics and society.

Tracing the RSS's origins, its involvement in key historical moments, the challenges it faced (including multiple bans), and the changes it undertook to become part of mainstream India. Finally, it examines the organisation's transformation as reflected in Mohan Bhagwat's remarks during the RSS centenary lecture series in August 2025.

HEDGEWAR AND THE EARLY YEARS: A CULTURAL RESPONSE TO COLONIAL RULE

Dr. Hedgewar, a doctor trained in Calcutta who had been part of revolutionary circles, launched the RSS on Vijayadashami in 1925. He believed that Hindu society needed social cohesion and strength to resist both colonial domination and communal violence. The early shakhas (neighbourhood branches) trained boys and young men in physical fitness, drill and ideological catechism. Hedgewar emphasised "discipline, character, and patriotic devotion" while avoiding direct political participation. Later leaders would describe the objective as safeguarding India's "holy and moral traditions" and instilling a sense of "Ekam Sat Viprah Bahudha Vadanti" (truth is one, sages call it by many names) and "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (the world is one family).