Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the centenary celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), where he described the Sangh’s 100 years of contribution as an important journey towards nation building.
In his address, Prime Minister Modi stated that the RSS has been working with the specific objective of nation-building since its inception. He noted that the Sangh has adopted the path of nation-building through individual development and has established the daily and regular branch system as its working methodology to achieve this goal.
Referring to Dr. Hedgewar’s thoughts, the Prime Minister said that he believed that a nation would be strengthened only when every citizen developed a sense of national responsibility. His innovative approach was – “We must take what we have. We must create what we need.”
Explaining Dr. Hedgewar’s approach, the Prime Minister used the example of a potter who shapes ordinary clay into valuable building materials. Similarly, Dr. Hedgewar would select ordinary individuals, train them, and prepare them as dedicated volunteers for the nation.
Describing the Sangh’s uniqueness, the Prime Minister said that it brings together ordinary people and enables them to accomplish extraordinary things. He called the branches “sabhas (fire altars) of personality development,” where volunteers develop physically, mentally, and socially. Through the branches, volunteers begin the journey from “ego” to “we.”
In conclusion, Prime Minister Modi outlined three fundamental pillars of the Sangh’s success: the noble objective of nation-building, a clear path to individual development, and a simple and vibrant methodology in the form of its shakhas. He said that it is on these foundations that the Sangh’s 100-year journey has been successfully completed and that it has inculcated values of sacrifice, dedication, and collective action among its volunteers.