Chandigarh: The three-day meeting of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (all-India representatives’ assembly) concluded on Sunday with a call to eradicate caste-based discrimination and stop the practice of providing caste-based analyses of voter demographics during elections.
RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale told mediapersons in Samalkha in Haryana’s Panipat district that the Sangh advocates social harmony and opposes attempts to divide society along caste lines.
Hosabale also lauded the diplomatic efforts currently being undertaken by the Centre amid the prevailing global geopolitical situation, adding that the Sangh “stands as a proponent of global peace and development”.
He said Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the founder of the RSS, did not establish the organisation with the intention of opposing any specific community, religious sect or mode of worship.
“Differences in modes of worship and rituals do not create any fundamental distinction,” he said.
Stating that everyone is welcome in the organisation, Hosabale said: “We consider anyone who is engaged in constructive work for the betterment of society to be a swayamsevak (volunteer) of the Sangh.”
Highlighting the expansion of the organisation’s activities, he said the Sangh’s work had witnessed significant growth over the past year.
“The number of shakhas (branches) has increased by approximately 6,000, crossing the 88,000 mark, while the number of locations where they operate has risen to over 55,000. The number of weekly gatherings and study circles has also increased,” he said.
Hosabale said the organisational expansion was also evident from the functioning of Sangh shakhas in regions such as the Andaman Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Leh and remote tribal areas.
“This expansion is also reflected in the various programmes being conducted to mark the Sangh’s centenary year,” he added.
Referring to programmes organised in different parts of the country, he said that in the Andaman Islands a Hindu conference saw participation from more than 13,000 people from nine different islands and was attended by the sarsanghchalak, Mohan Bhagwat.
“Similarly, in a state with relatively low population density like Arunachal Pradesh, over 37,000 people participated in 21 conferences on indigenous spiritual traditions,” he said.
According to Hosabale, alongside organisational expansion the Sangh is also working towards improving the quality of life and character in society.
“It is crucial to inspire positive social transformation through the concept of Panch Parivartan (five transformations). The Indian ethos, or Hindutva, is not merely an ideology but a way of life. Through this way of life, the quality of society as a whole must be elevated,” he said.
Hosabale also said society must honour the contributions of great personalities by rising above distinctions of caste and creed.
He said that to mark the 350th martyrdom anniversary of the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, RSS volunteers organised more than 2,000 programmes across the country with participation of over 7 lakh people.
Similarly, the 150th anniversary of the national song ‘Vande Mataram’ was also celebrated with enthusiasm, he added.
Providing details of the Sangh’s regular training camps, Hosabale said 96 training camps would be organised across 11 zones, along with one camp in Nagpur.
Responding to a query from mediapersons, he said the concept of decentralisation within the organisational structure had also been discussed.
“This entails a proposal to replace the existing ‘prant’ (provincial) units with smaller administrative divisions known as ‘sambhag’ (regions). If implemented, the current 46 provinces would be replaced by more than 80 such regions,” he said.
The three-day RSS Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, the highest decision-making body of the organisation, saw the participation of 1,489 delegates.
Representatives from 32 affiliated organisations, including BJP national President Nitin Nabin and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, were also present at the event.
(IANS)
