RSS at 100 | Former President Ram Nath KovindAt the centenary celebrations of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Vijayadashami

Nagpur: Former President of India Ram Nath Kovind, addressing the Vijayadashami Utsav marking the centenary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), lauded the organisation’s century-long contribution to national integration, character-building, and social reform.

Speaking on the occasion, which coincided with the birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri, Kovind paid rich tributes to RSS founder Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, Babasaheb Ambedkar, and successive Sangh leaders including M.S. Golwalkar (Guruji), Balasaheb Deoras, Rajju Bhaiya, and K.S. Sudarshan. He said their collective vision shaped the RSS into “the world’s largest volunteer organisation carrying forward the world’s most ancient culture.”

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He stated that Dr. Hedgewar planted the seedling of RSS and Guruji expanded it and strengthened its roots

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Ram Nath Kovind ji lauded the Sangh for working towards uniting the society. While addressing the gathering on the occasion of 100 years of Sangh, Kovind ji said that RSS has worked towards uniting all from farmers to students, from scientists to artists, from tribals to cities.

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Ram Nath Kovind ji further stated that RSS is the oldest organisation that carries forward the world’s most ancient culture.

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Reflecting on his personal journey, Kovind noted how the thoughts of Hedgewar and Ambedkar had deeply influenced his outlook towards society and the nation. He emphasized the Sangh’s resilience, recalling how it not only survived but grew stronger after bans in 1948, 1975, and 1992. “The Sangh has no formal membership, yet no one can match the dedication of its swayamsevaks,” he remarked.

Highlighting the organisation’s emphasis on equality and harmony, Kovind referred to initiatives like “one temple, one well, one cremation ground,” and reminded that Mahatma Gandhi himself had praised the Sangh’s casteless spirit. He also recalled historical moments when Babasaheb Ambedkar expressed solidarity with RSS volunteers, describing them with “a sense of belonging.”

The former President underlined the Sangh’s role in promoting self-reliance, indigenous economic models, and environmental conservation—particularly through its Panch-Parivartan program. He urged citizens to internalize the Ekatmata Stotra (Unity Hymn), which he said embodies India’s geography, history, and cultural inclusiveness.

Expressing confidence in the youth’s growing association with the Sangh, Kovind said the organisation’s philosophy of being “organisation-centric and principle-driven” had been its enduring strength. “By 2047, as India celebrates 100 years of independence, the RSS will have made invaluable contributions towards building a developed, inclusive, and united India,” he concluded.