The Rise of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh: How a Once-Banned Organization Became India’s Most Influential Political Force
In the bustling streets of New Delhi, amid the cacophony of daily life in the world’s largest democracy, a quiet revolution has been unfolding for decades. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), once a marginalized organization operating on the fringes of Indian politics, has transformed into perhaps the most powerful non-governmental entity in the country. Founded in 1925, this Hindu nationalist organization has weathered numerous challenges—including outright bans, public vilification, and accusations of extremism—to emerge as the driving force behind India’s gradual shift from a secular republic toward a nation increasingly defined by Hindu nationalism.
“The RSS has demonstrated remarkable resilience throughout its nearly century-long existence,” explains Dr. Ananya Sharma, professor of political science at Delhi University. “What many observers find most striking is how an organization once considered extremist has successfully mainstreamed its ideology to the point where it now substantially influences governance in the world’s largest democracy.” This mainstreaming represents one of the most significant political developments in modern India, yet remains poorly understood both domestically and internationally. The organization’s journey from obscurity to prominence tells a compelling story about India’s evolving national identity and raises profound questions about the future of pluralism in a country home to over 1.4 billion people of diverse faiths, languages, and cultures.
From British Colonial Rule to Independence: The RSS’s Formative Years
The RSS emerged during a period of intense anti-colonial sentiment, positioning itself as a champion of Hindu interests during the tumultuous final decades of British rule. Founded by K.B. Hedgewar in Nagpur, the organization initially focused on character-building and cultural revival among Hindu youth, activities that seemed innocuous but carried profound ideological implications. “The genius of the early RSS was in recognizing that cultural identity could be mobilized as a political force,” notes historian Ramesh Patel. “While they weren’t directly involved in the independence movement led by Gandhi and Nehru, they were building a parallel vision of India’s future—one centered on Hindu cultural supremacy rather than secular pluralism.”
This alternative vision placed the RSS at odds with the secular nationalism advocated by India’s founding leaders. After Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination in 1948 by Nathuram Godse, who had connections to the RSS, the organization faced its first major crisis. The newly independent government banned the group, considering it a threat to India’s communal harmony. Though the ban was eventually lifted when the RSS agreed to adopt a formal constitution and profess loyalty to India’s secular flag, this episode established a pattern that would repeat throughout the organization’s history: periods of restriction followed by strategic adaptation and renewed growth. This capacity for reinvention while maintaining ideological consistency has become the hallmark of the RSS’s approach to achieving its long-term vision.
Building a Network of Influence: The Sangh Parivar Ecosystem
What distinguishes the RSS from many political organizations is its recognition that cultural transformation must precede political change. “The RSS understood early on that politics is downstream from culture,” explains sociologist Dr. Meena Gupta. “Rather than focusing exclusively on electoral politics, they built a vast network of affiliated organizations—collectively known as the Sangh Parivar—that penetrate virtually every aspect of Indian civil society.” This ecosystem includes student groups like the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), labor unions such as the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), and perhaps most significantly, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has emerged as India’s dominant political force under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The genius of this approach lies in its comprehensiveness. By maintaining organizational separation between its cultural, social, and political wings, the RSS has created a system that allows it to influence Indian society at multiple levels simultaneously while maintaining plausible deniability about direct political involvement. Its volunteers operate thousands of schools, run disaster relief programs, organize community service initiatives, and conduct daily shakhas (branches) where members gather for physical training and ideological instruction. “What many critics miss about the RSS is how much of their work involves genuine community service,” notes journalist Vikram Mehta. “This grassroots presence has allowed them to build goodwill and loyalty that transcends political affiliations and creates a reservoir of support they can mobilize when needed.” This extensive network, built patiently over decades, has provided the organizational infrastructure for the dramatic political shifts witnessed in India over the past decade.
The Modi Era: From Cultural Movement to Political Dominance
The election of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister in 2014 represented the culmination of decades of patient organizational work by the RSS. Modi himself embodies the organization’s successful strategy—a former RSS pracharak (full-time worker) who rose through the ranks to become the face of Hindu nationalism in contemporary India. “Modi’s ascendance to power marked a watershed moment in Indian politics,” says political analyst Sunita Rao. “For the first time, an individual with deep RSS roots occupied the highest office in the land with a clear parliamentary majority, creating unprecedented opportunities to implement the organization’s vision.”
This political dominance has accelerated under Modi’s leadership, with the BJP securing an even larger mandate in 2019. This electoral success has been accompanied by increasingly bold policy moves that align with long-standing RSS priorities: the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special autonomous status, the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya on the site of a demolished mosque, the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act that critics say discriminates against Muslims, and various initiatives promoting vegetarianism, Sanskrit language study, and traditional Hindu practices. “What we’re witnessing is the systematic implementation of an agenda that the RSS has advocated since its founding,” observes constitutional scholar Dr. Arun Jaitley. “The organization’s patience and strategic thinking have allowed it to achieve through democratic means what many thought impossible—the fundamental reorientation of India’s political culture away from Nehruvian secularism toward Hindu nationalism.” This transformation represents perhaps the most significant ideological shift in Indian politics since independence.
Navigating Criticism: Controversies and Public Perception
Despite its growing influence—or perhaps because of it—the RSS continues to face intense criticism from various quarters. Detractors characterize the organization as fascist, pointing to its early inspiration from European right-wing movements and its emphasis on discipline, hierarchy, and cultural homogeneity. Critics also highlight controversial statements by RSS leaders regarding minorities, women’s roles, and India’s pluralistic traditions. “The organization has struggled to shake off perceptions that its vision of ‘Hindu Rashtra’ (Hindu nation) inherently marginalizes non-Hindus, particularly Muslims and Christians,” explains social activist Fatima Khan. “These concerns are amplified by periodic communal violence in which RSS affiliates have been implicated.”
The organization has responded to these criticisms with a sophisticated public relations strategy that emphasizes inclusivity while maintaining ideological clarity. Current RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has made overtures to Muslim communities, stated that LGBT individuals should be embraced by society, and insisted that the organization respects India’s constitution. “There’s an ongoing debate about whether these represent genuine moderation or tactical adjustments,” notes political commentator Rajesh Singh. “What’s clear is that the RSS has become much more media-savvy, recognizing that its expanded influence requires a more nuanced public image.” This evolution in messaging reflects the organization’s pragmatic approach to achieving its goals—willing to adjust tactics and presentation while remaining committed to its core vision of India as a Hindu nation defined by its ancient civilization rather than its colonial-era institutions.
The Future of India’s Secular Republic in an Era of Hindu Ascendancy
As the RSS celebrates nearly a century of existence, the question that looms largest is what its continued influence means for India’s future as a diverse, pluralistic democracy. “We’re witnessing a fundamental contestation over India’s national identity,” argues constitutional scholar Fali Nariman. “The vision established by Nehru and embodied in India’s constitution—of a secular republic where all faiths have equal standing—is being challenged by an alternative conception that sees Hindu culture as the essential foundation of Indian nationhood, with other traditions expected to accommodate themselves to this reality.”
This ideological shift raises profound questions about the future of India’s 200 million Muslims, its Christian communities, and other religious minorities. It also has significant geopolitical implications as India navigates complex relationships with Pakistan, China, and Western democracies increasingly concerned about religious freedom and pluralism. “What makes this transition so consequential is that it’s happening not through revolution but through democratic processes,” observes foreign policy analyst Shashi Tharoor. “The RSS has demonstrated remarkable patience and strategic acumen in advancing its agenda through legitimate political channels, making it difficult for critics to challenge without appearing to question democracy itself.”
As India approaches the centenary of both its independence and the founding of the RSS, the organization’s journey from obscurity to dominance stands as a testament to the power of ideological commitment, organizational discipline, and strategic patience. Whether one views this transformation as the restoration of India’s authentic civilization or the undermining of its pluralistic promise, what remains undeniable is that the RSS has succeeded in fundamentally reshaping the world’s largest democracy—a achievement few would have predicted during its tumultuous early years. In that success lies perhaps the most important lesson: that the most consequential revolutions are often those that unfold not in dramatic upheavals but in the patient, persistent work of changing how a nation understands itself.
