RSS: The Century-Long Quest to Reshape India’s Identity

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), India’s most influential right-wing organization, has spent nearly a century working toward its vision of a Hindu-first nation. Founded in 1925, this organization has evolved from a small volunteer corps into a formidable cultural and political force that has profoundly shaped contemporary Indian politics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who began his public service as an RSS worker in his youth, represents the culmination of the group’s long journey from the political fringes to the center of power. The RSS’s story reflects a persistent ideological movement that has patiently built influence across generations, transforming India’s social and political landscape while generating both passionate support and deep concern regarding the future of Indian secularism.

At its core, the RSS was established as a response to India’s complex religious and cultural identity, particularly during a time of nationalist awakening against British colonial rule. Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the founder, envisioned an organization that would unite Hindus and create a culturally cohesive nation based on what he saw as India’s ancient Hindu traditions. The early RSS distinguished itself through its disciplined organizational structure, daily shakhas (branches) where members gathered for physical training and ideological discussions, and its distinctive khaki uniforms. These community-based meetings fostered brotherhood among members while promoting a particular interpretation of Hindu nationalism that viewed India’s identity as fundamentally Hindu. This perspective stood in contrast to the secular, pluralistic vision championed by Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru, who led India’s mainstream independence movement and eventually formed its first government.

Throughout India’s post-independence decades, the RSS operated primarily as a cultural organization, carefully building a network of affiliated organizations (collectively known as the Sangh Parivar) that extended into education, labor unions, religious outreach, and eventually politics through the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The organization weathered significant challenges, including being temporarily banned following Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination in 1948, when a former RSS member was implicated in the killing. Despite such setbacks, the group’s consistent grassroots work and ideological persistence allowed it to gradually expand its influence across Indian society. RSS volunteers became known for their social service during natural disasters and their presence in remote villages where government services were lacking. This community involvement helped legitimize the organization among ordinary citizens while steadily promoting its cultural agenda of Hindu pride and tradition.

The relationship between the RSS and Indian politics transformed dramatically in recent decades. While maintaining its official status as a cultural rather than political organization, the RSS has functioned as the ideological parent of the BJP, providing both philosophical direction and organizational support. This connection became particularly significant after 2014, when Narendra Modi, who spent decades as an RSS worker before entering electoral politics, led the BJP to a historic victory in national elections. Modi’s personal journey from an RSS pracharak (full-time worker) to India’s prime minister symbolized the organization’s growing influence in mainstream Indian politics. Under BJP governance, many ideas long advocated by the RSS—from celebrating Hindu cultural symbols to revising educational curricula to emphasize ancient Indian achievements—have found expression in government policy. The most dramatic example came in 2019, when the government revoked the special autonomous status of Jammu and Kashmir, India’s only Muslim-majority state, fulfilling a longstanding RSS demand for complete national integration.

Critics and human rights advocates express profound concerns about the RSS’s vision for India, particularly regarding the status of religious minorities and the future of constitutional secularism. They point to increasing violence against Muslims and Christians, restrictions on religious conversion, and the promotion of historical narratives that emphasize Hindu victimhood and glory at the expense of India’s complex multicultural past. International observers have noted rising religious tensions and documented instances of mob violence tied to Hindu nationalist rhetoric. RSS supporters counter that the organization simply celebrates India’s indigenous cultural heritage after centuries of foreign rule and religious conversion, and that it seeks unity through a shared cultural identity rather than religious exclusion. They highlight the group’s charitable work, disaster relief efforts, and the peaceful nature of its daily activities, arguing that extremist violence comes from fringe elements not representative of mainstream Hindu nationalism.

As India continues evolving as the world’s largest democracy, the RSS’s influence represents one of the most significant cultural and political developments in its modern history. The organization’s century-long journey from a small volunteer corps to the ideological force behind the ruling government demonstrates the power of patient institution-building and consistent ideological messaging. For supporters, the RSS represents a necessary cultural renaissance that honors India’s ancient heritage and provides national unity; for critics, it poses fundamental challenges to India’s constitutional commitment to secularism and equal citizenship regardless of religion. What remains undeniable is that the RSS has succeeded in bringing its particular vision of Indian identity from the margins to the mainstream, reshaping national conversations about history, culture, and belonging in the world’s most populous democracy. As India faces the complex challenges of the 21st century—from economic development to religious pluralism to global engagement—the RSS’s influence on these national conversations will likely remain a defining feature of Indian public life.