Washington, April 24 (IANS) Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale spoke with visible pride about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s long association with the organisation, underlining the enduring ideological and organisational links between the RSS and India’s ruling establishment.
Speaking at a fireside chat at the Hudson Institute, Hosabale confirmed that PM Modi’s roots in the RSS remain a defining part of his public life and leadership journey. “That is true, he’s also brought up it, and we are also proud of you very much so,” he said, responding to a question about the Prime Minister’s background.
Hosabale’s remarks came in the context of a broader discussion on the relationship between the RSS and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with the RSS leader acknowledging a deep and continuing connection between the two. He said the BJP’s founders had consciously chosen to maintain ties with the RSS when the party was formed in 1980.
“The founders of the BJP… wanted to retain the relations… that umbilical… relations cannot be severed,” he said, describing the linkage as foundational to the party’s evolution.
The RSS chief also indicated that many individuals in positions of political authority have backgrounds in the organisation. “Because the people who are in the government are from the RSS background,” he said, when asked about alignment between the organisation and the government.
At the same time, Hosabale maintained that the RSS does not directly intervene in governmental decision-making. “RSS doesn’t get into this politics of the government of India,” he said, adding that the organisation remains aligned with policies that serve national interest.
He framed the RSS’s role as one of long-term social and cultural influence rather than immediate political engagement, emphasising its work in building a volunteer-driven ecosystem focused on service, discipline and social cohesion.
The discussion also touched on the organisation’s growth over the past century—from a small gathering of a handful of people to what the moderator described as a movement that has shaped political leadership in the world’s most populous democracy. Hosabale responded with characteristic restraint, stressing humility as a guiding principle.
“We are not complete brothers… we will not be… with the strength the humility comes,” he said, adding that success should reinforce modesty rather than dominance.
He reiterated that the RSS would continue its core mission of creating “selfless volunteers” committed to the service of society and humanity, while encouraging India to modernise without losing its cultural roots.
The remarks came during the Hudson Institute’s New India Conference, which brought together policymakers, scholars and strategic thinkers to examine India’s rise and its global partnerships.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who began his public life as an RSS pracharak, has often acknowledged the organisation’s influence on his ideological outlook and political training. The BJP, which he leads, has been in power since 2014 and draws significant organisational strength from cadres shaped by the RSS.
The RSS, founded in 1925, remains one of the largest volunteer organisations in the world, with a wide network of affiliates and a long-standing role in India’s socio-political landscape.
–IANS
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