 Summary of this article
- Over a century, the RSS has reframed its caste narrative—from “purity” rooted in Brahmanical hierarchy to “harmony” and “inclusivity”—yet its ideological core of cultural homogenisation under Hindutva largely remains intact.
- While the RSS highlights social outreach through initiatives like Sewa Bharati and the Panch Parivartan programme, critics argue this inclusivity demands assimilation into the Hindu Rashtra identity rather than dismantling caste hierarchies.
- From drones in Shastra Pujan rituals to Dalit outreach yatras post-2024 elections, the organisation’s new language and symbols project modernity and unity—but often conceal an enduring structure of graded inequality beneath the surface of reform.
“Harmony with caste,” drawn from Brahminical culture, is what the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is believed by its pracharaks to have evolved towards over the past hundred years. As the lights dim under the shadow of the Dhwaj, Nagpur sits in a curious calm of non-violence as the evening of October 1 settles over Deekshabhoomi. Thousands gather from Yavatmal and Amravati to pronounce the words of B.R. Ambedkar and to crusade against caste slurs that still haunt them. But this time, they are not alone.
Ram Nath Kovind, former President of India, bows before heading to the RSS Vijayadashami celebration scheduled for the next day marking the first of the three places he bowed his head that evening – the other two being at the Hegdewar’s memorial and the Shastra Pooja.
Earlier on September 27, the RSS organised rallies which set off from three corners of Nagpur — Yashwant Stadium, the Indian Hockey Ground, and Kasturchand Park — threading through the city’s veins towards Variety Square, where the statue of Mahatma Gandhi stands sentinel.
One of those marching is eighteen-year-old Vikram Singh who feels aflame with his great-grandfather’s legacy. The pathasanchalan, the annual march, is unlike anything he had imagined: drums beating steady as a heart, batons thudding in synchrony against the asphalt.
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By 8 pm, all three processions converge — a sea of 21,000 swayamsevaks standing shoulder to shoulder beneath the sodium lights of Sitabuldi. From a raised platform, Dr Mohan Bhagwat surveys the crowd, flanked by other senior leaders. A conch blows; silence falls; the prayer begins.
Vikram’s voice trembles at first, then steadies, while he remembers his grandfather teaching him the same prayer on dusky evenings. “This is not just a song, beta,” he had said, “it’s a sankalp — a promise.” The same hymn now fills the Vijayadashami parade, where Mohan Bhagwat and Ram Nath Kovind bow in the Shastra Pujan ritual — this time, notably, alongside replicas of drones and missiles.
Bhanwar Meghwanshi: From RSS Member to Social Justice Advocate
BY Jagisha Arora |
