Modi lauds RSS from Red Fort for its 100-year journey in service of nation

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday hailed 100 years of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as a "very proud and glorious" journey of the "world's biggest NGO" and lauded all its volunteers for their dedicated service to the nation.

Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 79th Independence Day, he said the nation is not built by the government or those sitting in power only.

It is built by the efforts of crores of people, including saints, seers, scientists, teachers, farmers, soldiers, labourers, individuals, and organisations, he said.

"Today I want to mention one thing with great pride that 100 years ago an organisation was born -- the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. Its 100 years of national service has been a very proud and glorious page," said Modi, who has been an RSS pracharak in the past.

For the past 100 years, the RSS sawayamsevaks (volunteers) have been dedicating their lives to fulfil the resolve of 'vyakti nirman' (character development) and 'rashtra nirman' (nation building) for the welfare of 'matrubhoomi' (motherland), he said.

"From the ramparts of the Red Fort today, I respectfully remember all the swayamsevaks who have contributed to these 100 years of national service," he added.

The prime minister said service, dedication, organisation, and unparalleled discipline are the identity of the RSS, "which is in a way the world's biggest non-government organisation (NGO)".

The country is proud of 100 years of "dedicated and glorious" journey of the RSS, he said, adding, "It will keep inspiring us".

It was probably for the first time Prime Minister Modi has talked at length about the RSS in his Independence Day speech.

Started by Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar on Vijayadashmi in 1925 with a small group of volunteers in Nagpur, the RSS' has its footprints across the country today with thousands of volunteers joining the organisation every year.

More 83,000 shakhas are organised by the RSS’ full-time workers every day at 51,570 places across the country, according to details shared by senior RSS functionaries at a press conference in Bengaluru.

Besides daily Shakhas, the RSS workers also organise more than 32,000 weekly shakhas and 12,000 monthly shakhas across the country, they said.

With the RSS completing 100 years of its foundation on this VIjayadashmi, it has planned to organise a series of events, including more than 1 lakh 'Hindu Sammelans', across the country to mark its centenary year, with its chief Mohan Bhagwat's address at RSS headquarters in Nagpur on October 2 this year.

In a massive outreach programme, the RSS has also decided to launch a door-to-door public contact drive across the country.