- Prof Author writes about the attributes of the RSS and
its Sanghis.
May you become a Centenarian!
This is a blessing that is often heard in situations
where our elders bless the younger ones. Living to a century is not an ordinary
achievement; it is a blessing. Seeing, talking to, and interacting with such
centenarians is a touching occasion, a historic moment. It is also a privilege
to witness such a historic event.
Yes, such a moment, such an opportunity is coming
before us and all of you. In that coming, there is no weakness inherent in that
age, no anxiety about reaching a hundred, no ego that naturally comes with a
fortune that no one else has, no arrogance that asks who will dare to question
me.
It has always been evolving within itself, without
giving up its original identity, without succumbing to criticism and abuse from
outsiders, and has been the beginning of new experiments, carrying the dream of
building the supreme glory of Bharat in the collective consciousness. The
centenary of the Sangh, which is on the cusp of a century of commitment to
developing individuals with a subtle consciousness to make that dream a
reality, is coming to a close.
The nature of the Sangh is different from other organizations.
Be it a formal Shakhas or a meeting, or an informal Baithak or festival,
everywhere we see a small but neat etiquette, which is to arrange our shoes in
a proper line. No matter how important footwear is to our lives, it is perhaps
only in the Sangh's rituals that it receives the respect it deserves. This
shows that nothing is small in the Sangh; it has its own place and value.
The recognition given to the common man in the Sangh,
whether he is a newly joined volunteer or a worker who has completed his third
year of Sangh education, is equal and dignified; in the Sangh, everyone is a
volunteer, no one orders or dictates to others to do a job. There is no concept
of 'it is not my job, let others do it', 'it is inferior to my level or
education', etc. There are responsibilities according to their strength and
ability; no responsibility is small or inferior. If there is equal opportunity
and representation for everyone, from the volunteers who only come to the
festival, to the top leaders of the organization, it is only in the Sangh. In a
sense, humble par excellence.
In the Sangh's Nithya shakhas or weekly meetings,
there is no frenzy or excitement that can be seen by those outside the Sangh.
From the praise of the names of the great men and women of ancient India, to
yoga, Surya Namaskar, indigenous games, from intellectual discussions related
to and affecting India, to the singing of patriotic songs, to the last, the
prayer that begins with Namaste Sadaa
Vatsale, all activities are disciplined, punctual, and peaceful. There is
no excess, no unethical in whatever mode.
There are no elements that are against Indianness, Sanatana
culture, or tradition. The same is true in Baithaks, starting from the peace
mantra 'Sahanavavathu' to the peace mantra 'Sarve Bhavantu...', all discussions
and decisions are held peacefully and in a disciplined and organized manner.
The basic objective of the Sangh is to develop
individuals and thereby build the nation. It is probably difficult to calculate
how many lakhs of individuals the Sangh has molded, even though most of the
leaders work in Sangh-sponsored organizations and engage in nation-building;
there are many who are involved in the work of nation-building behind the
scenes.
It is no exaggeration to say
that the Sangh has produced more leaders than any other leadership development
theory or personality development institution. In the Sangh, even if an individual is a leader, the
nation is more important than the individual.
Everything is for the nation, for Indianness, for the
mother India; this is a vision from the micro to the collective. This
philosophical consciousness makes an individual a leader, no matter how high a
leader rises; he cannot be greater than the nation. Perhaps this consciousness
will succeed in making every volunteer a leader.
It was the wish of Guruji, the Sarsanghachalak of the
Sangh, that the leader should dedicate himself to this nation, to our Bharathkhanda.
Guruji's wish was what brought about the dream of Hedgewar, the founder of the
Sangh, who had a mission of supreme glory. It was the wish of the next
Sarsanghchalaks who protected and nurtured that wish, and all the other
volunteers are the product of that growth.
This Vijayadashami marks the centenary of such a group
of volunteers, and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is achieving a feat that no
other volunteer organization in the world has. Everyone's wish for that
achievement is that it will last for many more years, and this wish is
accompanied by a welcome blanket, which is our aspiration, an aspiration that
includes all of you and all Indians.
Author is Assistant Professor
and Counsellor, PES University, Bengaluru.
To read all
articles by author