In its centenary year, RSS gets ready to expand its national footprint

Santosh Kumar Pathak

New Delhi, March 6 (IANS) The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is making special preparations to celebrate its centenary year.

The RSS, which is not only the country's but the world's largest social organisation, is planning to expand its footprint in those parts of the country where it has a much smaller presence.

Apart from expanding its footprints, the Sangh is seen actively engaging in social work activities as well as making efforts to increase the number of 'Shakhas' run by it.

The RSS was founded by freedom fighter Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in Nagpur in 1925.

After its formation, the Sangh was banned many times but with time it was again widely accepted, both for its activism and higlighting national issues. At present, the BJP, which is the largest party in the world, derives its political ideology from its parent organisation, the RSS.

The BJP as well as its political ideologue, the RSS is making constant efforts to establish their footprint in many southern states as well.

The Sangh, which will be celebrating its 100th year in 1925, now wants to increase its footprint at the ground level in those states and divisions where it does not have a strong presence.

RSS leaders are holding constant discussions over the issue. It runs several shakhas and participates in social work activities across more than 55,000 places in various cities and villages of the country.

The RSS plans to double the number of shakhas as well as social work activities to one lakh places in the country.

At present, the Sangh has an active presence in one form or the other in almost all the districts of the country but as it nears the centenary year celebrations, it aims to expand its work to all the divisions of the country by 2024 and wants to further strengthen the organisation.

The Sangh aims to expand its footprint into Tamil Nadu, including other southern states, as well as Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The Sangh also wants to further expand its connect on the ground level in the northeastern states as well. Apart from this, the RSS is planning to prepare its functionaries which have been part of it for the last two years.

While, the Sangh helped thousands of people during the Covid-19 crisis, on the other hand, it also conducted the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Nidhi Samarpan Abhiyan across villages and cities as well as interacted with the common man.

During the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Nidhi Samarpan Abhiyan, nearly 30 lakh Sangh volunteers directly interacted with 12.73 crore families in 5.34 lakh villages out of 6.5 lakh across the country.

In the coming days, the Sangh is continuously working on a plan to connect with people through its activities on issues related to the society -- environmental protection, family values, maintaing peace and social harmony.

A three-day meeting of the Sangh is going to be held in Gujarat next week to discuss the expansion of the organisation and activities. RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat will discuss the strategy with senior Sangh leaders and the BJP, including representatives of various organisations, associated with the Sangh's top decision-making body Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha meeting to be held in Gujarat's Karnavati (Ahmedabad) from March 11 to 13.

Senior RSS leaders Dattatreya Hosabale, Krishna Gopal, Manmohan Vaidya, Mukund C.R., Ram Dutt and Arun Kumar along with BJP National President J.P. Nadda and BJP National General Secretary (Organisation), B.L. Santhosh will also attend the meeting.

The meeting will also be attended by all the Provincial elected representatives of the RSS, Sanghchalaks (Chiefs), Karyavah (Secretary) and Pracharaks (workers) of the region and provinces as well as the Akhil Bharatiya Sangathan Ministers and their associates from various other organisations associated with the Sangh.