Last Updated:
As the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh prepares to celebrate its centenary year, it is poised for a dual challenge: preserving its core ideological values while addressing the evolving needs of a modern, diverse India
The sight of Mohan Bhagwat and PM Narendra Modi performing the puja together at the Ram Mandir was a definitive statement on the unity between RSS and its political offspring BJP. (PTI)
The year 2024 belonged to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as the organisation demonstrated its supremacy and firm grip over India’s socio-political landscape, proving that its influence extends far beyond ideology.
The Lok Sabha election results, once thought to signal trouble for its political front BJP, became a dramatic turning point for the Sangh too. What followed in the two crucial assembly elections wasn’t just a simple comeback—it was a strategic masterclass.
The Sangh’s quiet yet decisive intervention at the ground level turned the tide, leaving no doubt about its role as one of the significant architects of political victories and a force that shapes the social and cultural narrative among a large section of the population. Clearly, this wasn’t just another year in the Sangh’s century-old history; it was a reckoning.
It was a year that transformed whispers of its waning influence over its political offspring BJP and the voters into an undeniable proof of its dominance. It has been an exhibition of how the RSS, when needed, can steer not just its affiliates and cadres, but the largest chunk of its voter base.
Rumours Of Rift, Ram Mandir & Show Of Unity
The year 2024 marked the realisation of RSS’s most cherished dream and aspiration — the consecration of Lord Ram’s idol in Ayodhya’s grand temple.
The sight of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing the puja together was not only historic, but a symbolic culmination of decades of their ideological, political, social and legal struggle along with their own ways of devotion. For many, it seemed like a defining image and a definitive statement on the unity between RSS and its political offspring.
Yet, as the year progressed, underlying tensions started simmering between the two, and the widely discussed friction resurfaced. It continued to keep speculation alive about their internal dynamics. BJP national president JP Nadda’s comments to a newspaper that hinted at organisational differences reignited debates over the RSS’s role in BJP’s electoral fortunes and political decisions.
When the BJP’s performance in the general elections fell short of expectations and the majority mark, whispers about the RSS cadre losing motivation at the ground level grew louder. However, the assembly election result in Haryana and a clean sweep in Maharashtra by BJP swiftly reversed the narrative.
As the Sangh approaches its centenary year in 2025, the past year has established one thing beyond doubt — it plays almost an inseparable role in India’s political, social, and cultural evolution. The consecration of Lord Ram in Ayodhya was not just a religious-cultural milestone but a reaffirmation of the Sangh’s influence over national identity.
At the same time, there have been internal debates about its relationship with BJP, which reflect the complexities of balancing ideological purity with political pragmatism. The BJP’s electoral ups and downs, the slides and highs, have often been attributed to the RSS’s involvement—or lack of that—on the ground. While the Sangh maintains that it works independently of electoral politics, its undeniable sway over the BJP’s cadre and its own framework ensures that its influence remains integral.
Not A ‘Secret Society’, But A Strong, Silent Force
For the RSS, 2024 was a year of multiple triumphs and some private introspection. The organisation continued to expand its presence quietly, staying true to its ideology, and the philosophy of operating beyond the public eye. “What people see is just the tip of the iceberg,” a senior RSS pracharak remarked, reflecting on the organisation’s century-long journey. “Our roots are far deeper and stronger than what anyone can imagine,” he added.
The expansion was never restricted to political circumstances. The organisation and its affiliates kept spreading its ideological web across strata of the society. It continues to happen irrespective of the party in power at the Centre or in the states. For instance, RSS has been witnessing a steady rise in the numbers of shakhas (morning or weekly ideological sessions) in Kerala and Bengal where BJP never came to power.
It has at least 34 affiliated organisations and fronts, but it also has hundreds of organisations which are termed ‘RSS inspired’ or ‘RSS supported’. Many such groups silently operate among the masses at the ground level. This is what makes the RSS a formidable force, while the organisation’s strength is its unflinching and committed cadre base.
Interestingly, Rahul Gandhi’s critique of the RSS during his international tour—where he referred to the Sangh as a “secret society”—may have been unnuanced, but it wasn’t entirely off the mark. The RSS has always been a tightly-knit organisation that continues to influence India’s socio-political fabric through its network rather than overt displays of power. Probably, this is the reason that the members of the Gandhi family — Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi — and senior Congress leaders mention the RSS in every incident and every policy decision.
Century-Old ‘Social’ Force With A Political Edge
As the RSS prepares to celebrate its centenary year, it talks more about Samajik Samrasta (social harmony), calls Muslims and Christians Hindus, and demands a ‘population policy’ while advising Indians to have at least three children to make the society survive. The organisation now seems poised for a dual challenge: preserving its core ideological values while addressing the evolving needs of a modern, diverse India.
For an outfit often shrouded in mystery and mostly misunderstood, the RSS’s century-long journey has been marked by its own ways of resilience, adaptation, and a quiet strength. If 2024 proved anything, it’s that the Sangh’s roots run far deeper than what meets the eye, while its presence remains profound—no matter which party holds power.
