New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the centenary celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), lauded the organisation’s resilience in the face of adversity, saying it has never harboured bitterness despite repeated attempts to malign or ban it.
“The RSS has never been bitter, despite false cases, bans, and other challenges, because it belongs to a society where we accept both the good and the bad,” the Prime Minister said. He emphasised the Sangh’s historical contributions, noting, “The Sangh fought against the atrocities of the British. Its only enduring commitment has been love for the nation.”
Modi further remarked that while there had been many attempts to “crush the spirit of the RSS” through allegations and legal action, the organisation never responded with vengeance. “False cases have been filed, yet the RSS has never fought with the intent of revenge,” he said.
Historical Context
According to The Organiser, the RSS’s official publication, the Sangh faced a ban following Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination in 1948. M. S. Golwalkar, who had succeeded founder K. B. Hedgewar as the second Sarsanghchalak, was arrested at midnight on February 1, 1948, and the organisation was banned three days later.
Though investigations later confirmed the RSS had no role in Gandhi’s assassination, Golwalkar remained in detention for six months before being released—only to be re-arrested in November that year. The RSS attributes this to political pressure from the Congress government under Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. A wave of nationwide satyagrahas by swayamsevaks ensued, and mounting public pressure eventually led to the unconditional lifting of the ban on July 12, 1949. Golwalkar was released the following day.
Subsequent prosecutions, including a 1954 case in Bihar, were dismissed by the courts, which the RSS cites as proof of exoneration.
PM’s Tribute to Golwalkar
Recalling Golwalkar, revered as “Guruji” within the RSS, Modi said: “Guruji was jailed on false charges and even faced torture behind bars. Yet, when he walked free, he reminded society that just as one does not pull out one’s own teeth after accidentally biting the tongue, one must not turn against one’s own society.”
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