‘Progressed From Neglect To Acceptance’: Hosabale On RSS’s 100-Year Journey, Stresses ‘Cultural Awakening’ Aim
The RSS has evolved from obscurity to acceptance in its 100-year history, promoting national reconstruction through cultural awakening and a network of right-minded individuals.
New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) Starting as a movement of "national reconstruction", the RSS has progressed from neglect and ridicule to curiosity and acceptance, its general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said on Sunday, as he urged people to join the organisation in fulfilling its resolve.
In an article titled "RSS at 100" published on the Vishva Samvad Kendra Bharat website, he said, "The Sangh does not believe in opposing anyone and is confident that, some day, anyone opposing the Sangh's work will join the Sangh fold." When the world is grappling with multiple challenges, ranging from climate change to violent conflicts, Bharat's ancient and experiential wisdom is "eminently capable" of providing solutions, Hosabale underlined.
"This gigantic but inevitable task is possible when every child of Bharat Mata understands this role and contributes to building a domestic model that inspires others to emulate," he said.
"Let us join this resolve to present a role model before the world of a harmonious and organised Bharat, taking the entire society together under the leadership of righteous people ('sajjan shakti')," he added.
The Vishva Samvad Kendra is a media centre affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Revisiting the journey of the RSS since its inception on Vijaya Dashami in 1925, Hosabale said, "In the last hundred years, the Sangh, as a movement of national reconstruction, has travelled from neglect and ridicule to curiosity and acceptance." With the RSS set to complete its hundredth year of service this year, there is an "evident curiosity" about the way the Sangh perceives this landmark, he said.
"It has been crystal clear for the Sangh since its inception that such occasions are not meant for celebration but provide us with an opportunity to introspect and rededicate to the cause," he added.
Hosabale said it was also a chance to acknowledge the contributions of the "stalwart saintly figures" who guided the movement and the series of 'swayamsevaks (volunteers)' and their families who "selflessly" joined the Sangh's journey.
"There cannot be a better occasion than the birth anniversary of Sangh founder Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, which happens to be Varsh Pratipada -- the first day of the Hindu calendar -- to revisit the (organisation's) journey of hundred years to resolve for the future a harmonious and united Bharat for world peace and prosperity," he added.
From "armed revolution to Satyagraha", the RSS general secretary said Hedgewar respected all efforts undertaken to free Bharat from British colonialism and never tried to "belittle" any movement.
Hedgewar was a "born patriot" and his trait of "unconditional love and unadulterated dedication for Bharat" was visible in his actions from childhood, he said.
"He diagnosed the fundamental problems that caused us to lose our independence and decided to find a lasting solution," the senior RSS functionary said.
Hosabale said Hedgewar realised that the absence of patriotism in day-to-day life, deterioration of collective national character resulting in parochial identities, and the lack of discipline in social life were the rootcauses of invaders finding a foothold in Bharat.
"He could experience that people had lost the collective memory of our glorious history due to incessant aggressions. Hence, there was a sense of pessimism and inferiority complex about our culture and knowledge tradition," the RSS general secretary said in the article.
"It was his conviction that mere political activism under a few leaders would not solve the fundamental problems of our ancient 'rashtra'. Hence, he decided to devise a method of consistent efforts to train people to live for the nation," he further said.
The "innovative and unique" functioning of the Sangh through 'shakhas' is the outcome of Hedgewar's "visionary thinking" beyond political struggle, he added.
"While participating in the political freedom struggle and encouraging others to do the same, Dr Hedgewar developed this training method for organising the entire society and not creating an organisation within the society," Hosabale said.
Growing acceptance and expectations of society from the Sangh today is nothing but signs of approval for Hedgewar's "vision and method", he asserted.
In wake of the "unfortunate" partition of Bharat post-Independence, RSS 'swayamsevaks' "dedicated" themselves to rescuing the Hindu population in Pakistan and resettling them with honour and dignity, he added.
Hosabale said Hedgewar did not theorise the Sangh's ideology but gave an action programme in seed form, which had been the guiding force in this journey.
"The progressive unfoldment of this movement and philosophy is nothing short of a miracle. It was not easy to explain the idea of Hindutva and the idea of 'rashtra' when most of the English-educated elites were influenced by the European idea of nationalism, which was narrow, parochial and exclusivist," he said.
While there is a tendency to look at everything from the political prism, the Sangh is still focussing on the "cultural awakening of society" and creating a strong network of "right-minded people and organisations", Hosabale said.
Bharat is an ancient civilisation with a "destined role" to play in the interest of humanity based on its spiritual traditions, he further said.
If Bharat has to perform the role based on the ideas of universal harmony and oneness, the country's common public has to prepare itself for this goal, he added.
"Sri Guruji provided a strong ideational foundation for the same," Hosabale said, referring to the second RSS chief MS Golwalkar.
(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)
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