New Delhi, Sep 11 Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday hailed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on his 75th birthday, calling his tenure the “most transformative period in the 100-year journey of the Sangh."
The Prime Minister’s assertion drew strong resonance from thinkers and commentators, with Akhilesh Mishra, CEO of a policy think tank, outlining how Bhagwat’s leadership stands apart from all his predecessors.
Tracing the Sangh’s evolution, Mishra, in a post on X, noted that- founder K.B. Hedgewar (1925-1940) laid the framework of the organisation on a limited scale, while his successor Guru M.S. Golwalkar (1940-1973) provided ideological coherence and long-term vision, though in opposition to the Nehruvian consensus. Balasaheb Deoras (1973-1994) expanded outreach, particularly during and after the Emergency, while Rajendra Singh (1994-2000) navigated the turbulent 1990s marked by rapid societal transformation.
K.S. Sudarshan (2000-2009) steered the Sangh through an era of increased media scrutiny and the explosion of private television channels.
However, Mishra argued that it is only under Bhagwat (2009-present) that the RSS has achieved a unique confluence: “Ideological consolidation, sustained state power, mass expansion, societal mainstreaming, civilisational awakening, intellectual articulation, and media acceptance” — achievements no previous Sarsanghchalak could accomplish simultaneously.
“Mohan ji's tenure has indeed been the most consequential. It has, in many ways, evergreened the only institutional organisation that Hindus have been able to build in over a millennium,” he said.
Under Bhagwat’s stewardship, the RSS has expanded its footprint across civil society, academia, and public discourse, while enjoying greater acceptance in both mainstream and digital media.
Analysts point out that this period has also coincided with the Sangh Parivar’s alignment with sustained state power, thereby enabling many of its long-term social and cultural objectives to enter the national mainstream.
As the RSS moves towards its centenary in 2025, Bhagwat’s leadership, according to both the Prime Minister and ideologues, will be remembered as the most consequential chapter in the organisation’s history.
--IANS
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