RSS at 100: A century of service to the nation

A hundred years ago, on the sacred occasion of Vijayadashami, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was founded. This was not the creation ofsomething entirely new.

- NARENDRA MODI

A hundred years ago, on the sacred occasion of Vijayadashami, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was founded. This was not the creation of something entirely new. It was a newer manifestation of an ancient tradition where India's eternal national consciousness expresses itself periodically in different forms to face the challenges of the time. In our time, the Sangh is the embodiment of that timeless national consciousness. It is the good fortune of our generation of swayamsevaks that we are witnessing the Sangh's centenary.

On this historic occasion, I extend my greetings to the countless swayamsevaks who remain dedicated to the pledge of serving the nation and its people. I also bow in reverence to the founder of the Sangh, our guiding ideal, Param Pujya Dr Hedgewar Ji. To mark this glorious journey of a hundred years, the Government of India has released a special postage stamp and commemorative coin.

Human civilisations thrived on the banks of great rivers. Similarly, countless lives have flourished due to the impact of the Sangh. A river enriches each part of the land that it touches. Likewise, the Sangh has nourished every part of our nation, every sphere of our society. A river often multiplies into many streams and expands its impact. Something similar has happened in the Sangh's journey. Through its various affiliated organisations, the Sangh works in every domain of life, such as education, agriculture, social welfare, tribal welfare, women's empowerment, and more. Though diverse in their fields of work, they embody one spirit and one resolve: "Nation first".