RSS plans to expand 'shakhas', focus on public outreach campaigns to mark centenary year

14/03/2026

CHANDIGARH, Mar 13: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Joint General Secretary C R Mukunda on Friday said special emphasis is being placed on expansion of 'shakhas' and engagement of society through public outreach programmes to mark the organisation's centenary year.
Elaborating on the Sangh's plan of action to mark its centenary year, Mukunda said two types of programmes have been planned -- organisational growth, focused on expansion of 'shakhas', and the other focused on bringing together the constructive forces of society to promote goodwill and social harmony.
In this context, 'grihasampark abhiyan' (mass contact programme) is being carried out, he added.
In Kerala, volunteers contacted over 55,000 Muslim and 54,000 Christian homes under the outreach initiative, he said in a press conference in Samalkha, Panipat.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale inaugurated the three-day meet of the RSS' top decision-making body -- Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) -- in Pattikalyana, Samalkha.
The meeting includes detailed discussions on major programmes and campaigns organised as part of the celebrations which also include Hindu Sammelan, youth conferences, gatherings of prominent citizens and social harmony meetings.
Meanwhile, as the meet began, tributes were paid to the departed souls including former Union minister Shivraj Patil, former deputy chief minister of Maharashtra Ajit Pawar, actor Dharmendra, Tamil film producer A V M Saravanan, former Mizoram governor Swaraj Kaushal and Communist leader R Nallakannu.
Addressing the media, Mukunda talked about the RSS' 'panch parivartan' initiative, which focuses on social harmony, preservation of family values, environmental protection, selfhood and self-reliance, and adherence to legal, civic, and constitutional duties.
The RSS has reached out to more than 10 crore homes under "grihasampark", he said, adding that more than 3 lakh villages have been covered and the organisation is also seeing a positive impact in society of "sabbhav gosti" and the "pramukh nagrik gostis".
In Kerala, RSS reached out to several households including Muslims, Christians and also those belonging to individuals with communist leanings.
During these visits, volunteers met families personally and engaged in dialogue about the RSS, he said.
We received a warm welcome everywhere we went. Our 'swayamsevaks' reached out to 55,000 Muslim and 54,000 Christian homes, Mukunda said, adding that the Sangh also reached tribal regions through its public outreach initiative.
The RSS has welcomed the efforts being made by the central government to bring peace and development in Naxal-affected regions, he said.
The improving situation of peace and stability in Manipur is also encouraging, and he noted that RSS swayamsevak have played a meaningful role in these efforts.
He added that a difficult situation arose in Bangladesh, one that persists to this day. Therefore, the Sangh urges the government there to undertake whatever efforts are necessary to safeguard the rights and interests of Hindus.
Asked about the West Asia conflict, he said the crisis should end soon, this is what we and the Indian society believe.
He said the work of the RSS continues to grow steadily, with new shakhas starting in several new locations over the past year.
He added that the organisation aims to start more and more shakhas in villages and small towns in the coming years, with the broader objective of bringing positive change in social life.
Hindu Sammelans have been held at more than 36,000 places in the country and more are going to take place including urban, rural areas and remote tribal areas, he said.
One notable example came from a remote region of Arunachal Pradesh, where participants said they were experiencing such a sense of warmth and belonging for the first time, he said.
The Sangh's ongoing endeavour involves engaging prominent citizens across various localities to serve as key community leaders, he added.
BJP chief Nitin Nabin and presidents and other senior functionaries of its 32 sister organisations, among others, will attend the key three-day meet.
To foster harmony within society, we are collaborating at the block level with local community leaders, heads of spiritual organisations, and heads of religious centres, Mukunda said.
"Together, we aim to deliberate upon and implement positive initiatives that bring about necessary social reforms. Specifically, the Sangh has identified five transformations. Five key themes representing the changes currently desired within society," he said.
Mukunda said that RSS chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat has also been actively engaging with society on various subjects by participating in programmes held in state capitals as well as the four major metropolitan cities Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata.
He said he recently interacted directly with citizens during programmes held in four metropolitan cities alone, where he responded to more than 1,000 questions from participants.
The entire question-and-answer interaction with citizens during these events took over 20 hours in total, he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Sunil Ambekar had said the three-day meeting will review the activities of the Sangh during 2025-26 and present reports on significant initiatives carried out across various regions.
The meeting is being attended by RSS senior office-bearers, along with members of the national executive body. A total of over 1,400 'karyakartas' will participate, including elected representatives and key office-bearers from various parts.
In addition, presidents, general secretaries, and organising secretaries of 32 affiliated organisations will also be present.
According to the figures presented in the annual report of the RSS, last year 83,129 shakhas were being conducted at 51,740 places across the country. This number has now increased to 88,949 shakhas at 55,683 places.
In this way, 3,943 new places have been added in a year, and the total number of shakhas has grown by 5,820, reflecting the steady expansion of the organisation's activities.

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