New Delhi: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has announced an extensive series of public outreach initiatives and Hindu conferences to commemorate its centenary year, marking 100 years since its founding on Vijayadashami in 1925.
The year-long celebrations will formally begin on August 26 with a special three-day lecture series delivered by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. These events will be held in four major metropolitan cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata — and will serve as the launchpad for a wider nationwide campaign.
According to Anil Gupta, the Delhi Prant Karyavah of the RSS, the organisation aims to expand its grassroots presence by reaching every administrative block across India. A key part of this strategy includes significantly increasing the number of its daily shakhas (local branches), with a target of surpassing one lakh by the end of the centenary year.
Alongside this, the RSS has planned to hold between 1,500 and 1,600 Hindu Sammelans (conferences) across the country, further amplifying its public engagement efforts. These events are expected to culminate around October 2, the date Vijayadashami falls this year, marking the formal 100th anniversary of the RSS's establishment.
During a separate event in Pune on Thursday, while launching a biography of the late Ayurveda practitioner and RSS leader Dada Khadiwale, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat reflected on the philosophical foundation of the organisation. He described “belongingness” as the single word that encapsulates the spirit of the Sangh.
“Organising Hindus is what the RSS does. But more importantly, it nurtures a feeling of belongingness — a sense of connection that binds people together,” Bhagwat said. He emphasized that such a sentiment should be cultivated deeply within society, arguing that true unity arises from recognizing the shared human thread that transcends selfishness.
“Humans are unique because they can rise above self-interest. The one who truly understands this belongingness is a real human being,” Bhagwat added.
The RSS centenary celebrations are set to be among the largest national outreach efforts undertaken by the organisation in recent decades.
