PM Modi to release commemorative postage stamp, coin to mark RSS' centenary year

New Delhi, Sep 29 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will release a commemorative postage stamp and coin to mark the centenary year of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) this week.

The RSS, founded on Vijayadashmi in 1925, will complete 100 years on Thursday.

Sources said the prime minister will release the commemorative stamp and coin on Wednesday in the presence of RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on the eve of the organisation's centenary year celebrations.

Prime Minister Modi had on Sunday showered praise on the RSS for its selfless service and discipline, and said "nation first" is always supreme in every action of its volunteers.

In his monthly 'Mann Ki Baat' address, the prime minister said the RSS was established by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar on Vijayadashmi in 1925 to free the country from intellectual slavery, and its journey since has been as remarkable and unprecedented as it is inspiring.

A former RSS pracharak himself, Modi also praised Hedgewar's successor, M S Golwalkar, and said his statement that "this is not mine, this belongs to the nation" inspires people to rise above self-interest and embrace dedication to the nation.

He said, "This statement by Guruji Golwalkar has shown millions of volunteers the path of sacrifice and service. This spirit of sacrifice, service, and the discipline it teaches is the true strength of the Sangh. Today, the RSS has been relentlessly and tirelessly engaged in national service for over a hundred years." Preparations are in full swing to organise a series of events, including over one lakh 'Hindu sammelans', across the country to mark the RSS' centenary year.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday launched a collection of RSS songs, which he described as a product of devotion to the motherland, while addressing an event in Nagpur that was also attended by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The 'Sangh Geet' album features 25 songs sung by renowned singer Shankar Mahadevan, who performed ten of them live during the event.

Praising the spirit behind the songs, Bhagwat said, "Sangh Geet is born out of devotion to the motherland and the austerity of life. These songs emerge from the lived experiences of Swayamsevaks. These songs are a product of devotion to the motherland." The RSS has songs in every Indian language, with the total number estimated to be between 25,000 and 30,000.

Bhagwat will deliver his annual Vijayadashmi address at the Sangh headquarters in Nagpur on Thursday, kicking off a series of events across the country till the next Vijayadashmi.

It will also launch a nationwide door-to-door public outreach campaign and hold thousands of symposiums on various topics, including social harmony, across all states. PTI PK RT