In 1925, in the Mahal area of Nagpur, five men gathered discreetly on the day of Vijay Dashami to discuss what they saw as a defining weakness in Hindu society — disunity. Those men were Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, BS Moonje, Ganesh Damodar (Babarao) Savarkar, LV Paranjpe, and BB Tholkar. Their meeting was not celebratory but purposeful. They wanted to forge a disciplined organisation that could train Hindus both physically and mentally, creating a structured response to what they viewed as growing internal and external threats. That meeting gave birth to what would later become the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Hedgewar, who was called “Doctorji” for his medical background, was tasked with leading this new organisation. He decided that the focus should be on the youth — impressionable, energetic, and loyal. Teenagers between the ages of 12 and 15 were chosen for their potential to be shaped into a new kind of Hindu cadre, one that would see discipline as devotion and nationalism as faith. The boys met on a barren patch of land known as Salubai Mohite’s Bara, which they cleared and turned into their first training ground. Their activities combined physical exercise with storytelling about heroes such as Shivaji and Rana Pratap, embedding ideals of sacrifice and pride in Hindu history.
Secrecy was built into the foundation of the organisation. The RSS kept no membership records, had no registration, and disclosed no financial information. This method of operation reflected Hedgewar’s earlier association with the Anushilan Samiti in Bengal, a secret revolutionary group. From that experience, Hedgewar adopted a system of coded communication, strict discipline, and decentralised control. The Sangh’s funding came through the Gurudakshina system — voluntary annual donations made to the saffron flag — which kept its finances outside government scrutiny. It was this combination of mystery and organisation that helped the RSS grow quietly while avoiding official attention.
The RSS’s first real challenge came in 1948 when Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated. The organisation was banned, and the government accused it of promoting hatred. To have the ban lifted, the RSS was forced in 1949 to draft a written constitution. This document gave it a legal structure but did not make its internal workings transparent. Membership remained informal, financial records undisclosed, and the leadership centralised around the Sarsanghchalak, who held absolute authority. This system of obedience to one leader, or Ek Chalak Anuvartitva, became a core principle.
Over time, the RSS developed a rigorous internal culture. Joining the organisation involved taking an oath in a ritual that resembled a religious ceremony, often performed at a temple or cremation ground. The vow symbolised loyalty to the Hindu nation, not merely to the organisation. Through such practices, the RSS blended spirituality with nationalism, creating a movement that functioned both as a social organisation and an ideological mission.
Despite claims of inclusivity, the RSS has long struggled with the question of diversity. Its leadership and early membership were overwhelmingly Brahmin and upper-caste. While later attempts, such as the formation of the Muslim Rashtriya Manch, were made to project inclusivity, these remained limited. When asked whether Muslims could join, current chief Mohan Bhagwat clarified that anyone could, but only as part of the “Hindu society,” implying a cultural rather than religious integration.
Critics have often described the RSS as a Brahmin-dominated organisation, rooted in its origins in Vidarbha. Of the six Sarsanghchalaks since 1925, five have been Brahmins, four from Maharashtra. The lone exception was Rajendra Singh, or Rajju Bhaiyya, a Thakur from Uttar Pradesh who led the RSS between 1994 and 2000, in an attempt to expand its appeal beyond upper-caste circles. However, the leadership soon returned to its traditional base with the appointment of KS Sudarshan and later Mohan Bhagwat.
Nearly a century after its founding, the RSS remains one of the most powerful organisations in India. It continues to operate without formal membership records or public financial audits, legally recognised only as a “body of individuals.” It has built a vast network of shakhas, schools, and affiliated institutions that extend its influence across social, cultural, and political spheres. Its disciplined secrecy, once a necessity under colonial rule, has evolved into a defining feature that shields its inner workings from public scrutiny.
The RSS’s endurance lies in this balance of visibility and opacity. It functions in plain sight through its affiliates, yet keeps its core structure hidden. From its humble beginning in Nagpur in 1925, it has transformed into a national force that shapes politics and society alike. What began as a secret gathering of five men has become an institution that wields immense influence while remaining true to its founding design — disciplined, hierarchical, and cloaked in deliberate mystery.
