In honour of Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar ji, the organisation’s founder, RSS is celebrating its centennial by organising nationalistic events that will bring Hindus together and empower them to meet the issues facing humanity and our wonderful nation, Bharat. A wave of Hindutva, or Bharatiyatva, was created by Dr Hedgewar ji’s excellent character and nationalistic passion. The discipline, selfless attitude, and nation-first ideology instilled in Swayamsevaks by Dr Hedgewar ji as the first Sarsanghchalak of the Sangh for 15 years is the reason why not only RSS but its affiliated institutions and organisations have grown exponentially in Bharat and overseas over the past 100 years.
Doctorji, whose real name was Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, was an outstanding human being. Several independence fighters battled British oppression at both the local and national levels. Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar ji, the freedom fighter who had struggled in his personal life since growing up, committed himself to the nation’s cause while pursuing his studies. Due to his opposition to British injustice and oppression, he was imprisoned twice. He discovered certain important traits of the Bharatiya people as a whole while trying to rescue the nation from British rule.
He came to the realisation that most people had lost their fighting spirit and developed a slave mentality, forgetting the origins of magnificent Bharatiya culture. People are ill-prepared to concentrate on cultivating national character. People never come together to oppose British rule because society has been deliberately set up to fight mostly on the basis of caste. In opposition to the wonderful Vedas, Upanishads, and Sanatan culture, the British and other invaders had poisoned the minds of the Bharatiyas. The lessons and valour of legendary warriors and saints like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Maharana Pratap, Swami Vivekanand, and Rani Ahilyadevi have been lost. The great wisdom of Chanakya Niti and the Bhagavad Gita has been forgotten.
The most significant realisation for any community is “Aatma-Bodh” and “Shatru-Bodh,” since people can no longer distinguish between those who are trying to harm us and those who are our friends. This has caused a major rift between the leaders and the general public, particularly among Hindus. This has led to needless disputes and more adversaries within different organisations. The Sanatan Dharma and the fabric of Hindu society have suffered greatly as a result. Conversions to Christianity and Islam took many different forms.
Dr Hedgewar ji reevaluated his stance in light of these realisations. Grassroots efforts using a multifaceted strategy were necessary to restore Bharat’s social, economic, and spiritual greatness. This would make our country so powerful that no one would dare attack it again, and we would finally become “Vishwaguru” once more. To cultivate the national and personal character of each volunteer, he established the “Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh” in 1925. The majority of people think that Revered Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar ji merely worshipped his motherland and established a renowned organisation dedicated to protecting and honouring Bharat. In addition to being the founder and expert Organiser of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, he was also a brilliant thinker, passionate speaker, revolutionary, and freedom warrior. Few people know about it. Learn about Dr. Hedgewar ji’s battle, his harsh imprisonment, and how he motivated people to oppose British rule if you’re wondering what part the “RSS” played in the freedom struggle. His words and activities on the ground inspired many nationalists, including Sangh Swayamsevaks, after the RSS was founded in 1925.
Dr Hedgewar ji made every effort to maintain the Swayamsevaks’ good spirits. He once stated, “When the Sangh was formed, the situation was so unfavourable that it seemed impossible to work,” during a debate about the organisation. Why should we dispute the complexity of the situation now, when we bravely faced such a challenging circumstance and continued to work nonstop? It didn’t matter how quickly we worked up until today. Now, though, how will it be? Do you think the job we have completed so far is adequate? I can say with certainty that every Swayamsevak will at least mentally respond in the same way to the task that should have been done or could not be done, since we can strive harder to accomplish it sooner rather than later.
Shakha concept
The formation of both individual and national character requires a high level of spiritual, intellectual, and emotional development. Only then can a character be developed that directs its energies in line with “The Nation first” ideals, empowering it to take on any task for the good of the nation and society. For fifteen years, Dr Hedgewar ji was the Sangh’s first Sarsanghchalak. Dr Saheb meticulously developed the method for creating an organisation through Sangh Shakhas during this time. This organisational structure was always accompanied by the large nationalist thought process, vision, and action plan. He used to boldly assure us that all of our issues, from national independence to uniting Hindus for the greater good, would be resolved if we created strong Sangh Shakhas, continued to weave that network as densely as possible, and brought the entire society under the control of Sangh Shakhas. To achieve the necessary level of intellectual, emotional, and spiritual quotient, the one-hour Shakha is essential. The physical, mental, social, historical, and spiritual components of the several Shakha exercises cultivate teamwork, a sense of belonging, leadership, the capacity to take on challenges, a single-minded focus on serving Bharat Mata, and project management skills. Additionally, they decolonise the Indian mindset, promote regular altruistic seva and seva during natural disasters, and cultivate societal harmony.
Everyone he came into contact with during these years was impressed by him and his work. Maharishi Arvind, Lokmanya Tilak, Madan Mohan Malviya, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, BS Munje, Bitthalbhai Patel, Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, and K.M. Munshi were among them.
In the past, Dr Hedgewar ji would say that I wasn’t doing any new work. He never claimed to be the Sangh’s founder. The vision of a single divine soul to unite all Hindus and restore the nation’s glory so that no nation would dare control us. As demonstrated at this year’s ABPS meeting, RSS continues to fight and work tirelessly for the “Swa” of Bharat. Doctorji’s seed has sprouted into a huge tree that serves and benefits people from various backgrounds. Millions of Swayamsevaks, several seva initiatives, 50 major organisations, and more than 88,000 Shakhas are employed throughout the nation. The path to becoming “Vishwaguru” is on the right track.
Pranam to this great Visionary.
