NEW DELHI, JAN 11: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat asserted Sunday that the organization isn’t transforming but “gradually evolving” and “unfolding” with time, likening it to a seed sprouting into a fruit-bearing tree.
Speaking at RSS headquarters to launch the song album for Shatak—a film tracing the outfit’s 100-year journey—Bhagwat dismissed perceptions of change. Attendees included singer Sukhwinder Singh, director Ashish Mall, co-producer Ashish Tiwari, and RSS’s Bhaiyaji Joshi.
“The RSS marks its centenary, yet as it evolves, folks see shift. Truth is, it’s unfolding steadily,” he said. “A sprout from seed becomes a tree heavy with fruits—forms differ, essence endures.”
Bhagwat hailed founder Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar as a “born patriot” who merged life with national service from boyhood. Orphaned at 11 by plague, Hedgewar shunned vulnerability. “Trauma at that age isolates, warps character—but not him. His psyche absorbed shocks without denting faith or temperament—a hallmark of supreme mental fortitude.”
“Dr. Saheb’s psychology merits study,” he mused. “Sangh and Doctor Saheb are one.”
The event spotlights RSS’s reflective centenary amid its expanding cultural footprint.
