4 min readNew DelhiMar 13, 2026 04:58 PM IST
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Friday paid tributes to several public figures – including ideological opponents such as Congress leader and former Union home minister Shivraj Patil and veteran Communist leader R Nallakannu – as its top decision-making body, the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha, began a three-day meeting in Haryana’s Samalkha.
The meeting will see all the top leaders of the RSS, including RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, along with representatives of all associate organisations, discuss the progress made by the Sangh, its goals for the future, and contemporary issues affecting the country.
The gathering began on Friday by observing condolences for several personalities who passed away over the past year.
Among those remembered was Patil, who served as Union home minister during the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and had to resign in its wake. Known to be close to the Gandhi family, Patil had riled up the Sangh and the BJP in 2022 when he said that the concept of ‘jihad’ was present not only in Islam but also in the Bhagavad Gita and Christian texts.
Nallakannu, a senior CPI leader from Tamil Nadu who passed away this February at the age of 101, had been a strong critic of the RSS. He saw Hindutva as a fundamentally divisive political project, warning that “BJP and Hindutva forces” were working to fracture society along religious, caste, class, and gender lines and must be stopped through a united front of Left and democratic forces. He opposed the use of religion for political mobilisation and treated visible, inclusive representation of minorities in public life as a practical answer to majoritarianism.
Other figures included environmentalist Madhav Gadgil, environmental activist Saalu Marada Thimmakka, archaeologist K N Dikshit (excavator of Ramayana sites), actor Dharmendra, and former Mizoram governor Swaraj Kaushal.
Speaking to reporters after the opening session, RSS joint general secretary C R Mukunda said the organisation also discussed developments in the neighbourhood and conflict-affected regions. He expressed concern over the situation of Hindus in Bangladesh and voiced hope that conditions for the community would improve.
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Mukunda said the RSS welcomed efforts by the government to restore peace and development in Left-Wing Extremism-affected regions and noted that the situation in Manipur was stabilising. He added that RSS volunteers had contributed to relief and social outreach efforts in the state.
The annual report presented by Hosabale also reviewed organisational activities during the centenary year of the RSS, which began on October 2, 2025.
Kerala outreach
Mukunda said the centenary programs focus on two broad goals – expanding the organisation and mobilising what he described as the “constructive forces of society” for social harmony and cohesion. As part of a nationwide outreach campaign, volunteers have contacted families across communities to engage in dialogue about the organisation’s work.
He cited the example of Kerala, where volunteers reached more than 55,000 Muslim households and over 54,000 Christian families during the outreach, saying the families welcomed the interactions.
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According to the RSS, the campaign has so far covered about 10 crore households and nearly 3.9 lakh villages across 37 of its 46 organisational regions. The organisation also said it had held more than 37,000 ‘Hindu conferences’ across urban, rural, and tribal areas, drawing participation of about 3.5 crore people.
Mukunda said these programs seek to promote what the RSS calls ‘Panch Parivartan’, comprising social harmony, environmental awareness, pride in indigenous traditions, strengthening family structures and greater awareness of civic duties.
The RSS also highlighted organisational growth over the past year. Its report said the number of places with RSS activities increased from 51,740 to 55,683, while the number of daily shakhas rose from 83,129 to 88,949 – an increase of 5,820 branches in a year.
