Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday commemorated the centenary of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), highlighting it’s foundation on Vijay Dashami a hundred years ago, stating that the party was born to work towards serving the society and nation building. In a post on social media X, the PM wrote that “On Vijaya Dashami, a hundred years ago, the RSS was born with the aim of working towards serving society and nation building. Over a hundred years, innumerable Swayamsevaks devoted their lives towards fulfilling this vision. Here are my thoughts.” Meanwhile, ‘Path Sanchalan’ was held by RSS in Pune. Minister Chandrakant Patil, Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol, and BJP MP Medha Kulkarni were among the participants. They paid floral tribute to the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue. “It is a very joyous moment for everyone that today the establishment of the Sangh has completed 100 years. Doctor Saheb established the organisation 100 years ago with patriotism and service to the nation,” Murlidhar Mohol, Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation, told media reporters. He said that whenever a disaster strikes the country, the volunteers of the Sangh are among the first ones to come forward. “We feel proud to be part of this 100-year journey. With a feeling of nationalism towards the country…, the work of this organisation has been going on for the last 100 years. This work initially began under adverse conditions, and today, millions of volunteers around the world, through their daily Shakhas, directly embody this spirit of patriotism and love for the nation through their work and behaviour. It is deeply humbling. Today is a moment of immense joy and satisfaction,” he said.
Maharashtra Minister Chandrakant Patil said that the RSS’s work of “awakening pride in our religion, culture, and nation” has been largely successful. “The RSS was founded in 1925, before independence. It has completed 100 years. The work of awakening pride in our religion, culture, and nation in this country and around the world, and creating an organisation of those awakened by this pride, which serves as a disciplinary force in society, has been largely successful,” Patil said. Founded 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.