Modi praises Sangh’s social reform role

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday lauded the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for its century-long efforts to promote equality and combat caste discrimination. Speaking at an event marking the Sangh’s centenary, Modi recalled the words of successive RSS chiefs and their campaigns for shared access to temples, wells and cremation grounds.

“The Sangh has continuously fought against untouchability and social discrimination. Mahatma Gandhi also openly praised the Sangh’s equality and fraternity,” the PM said.

Quoting the second Sarsanghchalak, he added: “Na Hindu patito bhavet” (No Hindu can ever be fallen). He also cited the third Sarsanghchalak’s remark: “If Hindu untouchability is not wrong, nothing else is wrong in the world.”

Rebuttal to critics

Modi underlined that these ideals represent the Sangh’s broader mission to eliminate internal divisions and strengthen national unity. “No discrimination, no differences of opinion, no alienation of hearts — this is the basis of harmony,” he said.

The PM’s remarks come against the backdrop of criticism from the RSS’s ideological opponents, who often accuse it of being a Brahmanical organisation. Modi also sought to rebut claims that the RSS stayed away from the freedom struggle, recalling that its founder KB Hedgewar had been jailed multiple times by the British, and that its volunteers supported freedom fighters.

RSS in freedom and post-Independence struggles

Modi further noted that RSS workers faced British repression during the 1942 Quit India movement and the Chimur agitation. He also highlighted their participation in the fight against the Nizam’s forces in Hyderabad and in liberation movements in Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

“From the fight against the Nizam’s oppression in Hyderabad to the liberation of Goa, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, the Sangh made many sacrifices,” he said.

Warning against illegal immigration

Alongside his praise for the Sangh’s social campaigns, the Prime Minister struck a strong note on national security, warning that unchecked infiltration posed a grave threat to India’s demography and stability.

He tied the Sangh’s message of social equality to contemporary challenges, saying that unity and internal strength were vital for confronting threats posed by illegal immigration and cross-border movements.

Conclusion

As the RSS marks 100 years since its founding, Modi’s remarks placed the organisation within a dual framework — as a social reform movement against untouchability and as a nationalist force that participated in India’s historical struggles. By combining praise for the Sangh’s reformist credentials with warnings on infiltration, Modi underscored both its legacy and its contemporary relevance