Mohan Bhagwat's 'don't-change-dharma' message in Gujarat village reinforces RSS' efforts in tribal belts

Ahmedabad, April 13 (IANS) When Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat stepped onto the modest stage in Barumal, a small village tucked away in Gujarat's Valsad district, on April 12, it was more than just a ceremonial visit. Dressed in his trademark white kurta-pajama and black cap, Bhagwat addressed a packed gathering at the silver jubilee celebration of the Bhav Bhaveshwar Mahadev Temple.

His message was unmistakable: the moral compass of India must remain firmly aligned with dharma. "People should not change their religion under the influence of greed or fear," Bhagwat said.

"Dharma alone can lead everyone to happiness," he said. Bhagwat’s visit subtly presented the enduring and evolving role the RSS has been playing in Gujarat.

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, established in 1925 by Dr K.B. Hedgewar in Nagpur, first found firm ground in Gujarat in the 1940s. But it wasn’t until the 1960s and '70s that the Sangh began expanding its shakhas -- daily gathering units of volunteers -- in towns like Rajkot, Bhavnagar, and Ahmedabad. By the time the Emergency was declared in 1975, Gujarat had become a vital node in the RSS network. Underground pamphleteering, mobilisation of youth, and the shielding of political dissenters against the Indira Gandhi-led regime found support from these shakhas. Quiet, consistent, and fiercely loyal to the ideology of cultural nationalism, the RSS presence in Gujarat was slowly becoming a force to reckon with.

Today, the Sangh boasts thousands of shakhas across the state. It works not just as an ideological training ground but as a social lifeline -- organising relief during floods in Surat, aiding earthquake victims in Kutch, and running educational initiatives in tribal belts. Contrary to its widely debated political connections -- primarily through its ideological offspring, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- the RSS in Gujarat often insists it is a cultural organisation. Its influence, however, seeps into politics, education, tribal welfare, and even business communities. Bhagwat’s recent presence in Dharampur is a case in point. The region is tribal-dominated, an area that has seen increased RSS activity in the past two decades.

From running Ekal Vidyalayas (single-teacher schools) to promoting cow protection and Ayurveda, the RSS’s imprint in the tribal hinterlands is growing. One RSS pracharak (full-time volunteer) from Surat, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, “We work to strengthen society from within. Politics may benefit from it, but our mission is larger.” While Dr Hedgewar laid the foundation, it was his successor, M.S. Golwalkar (Guruji), who built the organisational strength of the RSS. In Gujarat, the Sangh’s local leadership has often included some of the state's most influential names.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his journey as an RSS 'pracharak', spending years travelling across Gujarat as a full-time volunteer before transitioning into mainstream politics via the BJP. Others like Pravin Togadia (former VHP leader), Gordhan Zadafia, and K.N. Govindacharya have also emerged from the RSS ecosystem in the state, each carrying forward the core ideology in different directions.

The RSS’s journey has not been without criticism. Its efforts in tribal areas have been viewed with suspicion by Christian missionary organisations, who accuse the Sangh of ghar wapsi (reconversion) campaigns.

Critics argue that the cultural outreach often overlaps with religious pressure. But the RSS rarely responds in public. It operates on ground contact, personal relationships, and long-term presence -- a model that is less about instant results and more about shaping generational thought.

The average shakha in Gujarat begins at sunrise. Children and young men assemble in open grounds, playing traditional games, learning self-discipline, and discussing national pride. There is no membership card, no promotional material. It’s all word-of-mouth, peer-to-peer, and deeply embedded in local ethos. In Bhavnagar, local shakha members recently conducted a week-long youth camp on disaster preparedness and traditional Indian values. During the Covid pandemic, the RSS helped organise blood donation drives. These are not headlines. These are realities -- quiet ripples that build the Sangh’s reservoir of goodwill.

Today, Bhagwat’s words in Barumal may serve as more than just spiritual reflection. They remind the state, and perhaps the nation, that the RSS remains steadfast in its mission -- silent, strategic, and sprawling. In Gujarat, where politics and culture often blur, the Sangh’s presence is not merely an echo from the past. It is a living, evolving institution with a ground game that few others can rival.

“The RSS is like the banyan tree,” a senior swayamsevak in Valsad remarked. “Its roots go deep, its shade is wide. You may not see the growth every day, but it never stops.”

--IANS

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