(Book Review by Prof. S. S. Dogra)
Every organisation leaves behind a legacy, but few have travelled a century-long journey with as much influence, debate and public attention as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Founded by Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in 1925, the organisation completed its centenary in 2025, marking an important milestone in India’s modern socio-political history.
The Hundred-Year Journey of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, authored by Shyam Jaju and Anupam Trivedi and published by Prabhat Prakashan, a relevant document that describes the Sangh’s hundred-year journey.
The book offers readers an account of the RSS from its origins in Nagpur to its expansion across India and its growing presence in the country’s social, cultural and public life. Its narrative touches upon major phases of modern Indian history, including the freedom movement, the early decades of nation-building, global Footprint, Ram Mandir Movement, The Modi Era, the Emergency and the changing socio-political scenario of twenty-first-century India.
From a Shakha to a Century: The Story of an Organisation
One of the central themes running through the book is the RSS emphasis on organisation-building and character formation. The daily shakha has remained a distinctive ideology through which the organisation has sought to develop discipline, collective responsibility and a spirit of service. This emphasis on vyakti nirmaan se rashtra nirmaan—nation-building through individual development—has also featured prominently in public accounts of the RSS centenary.
The book is particularly relevant because the RSS has occupied a complex place in India’s public discourse. Its supporters highlight its extensive organisational network, social-service activities and nation-building philosophy, while critics have raised questions about its ideology, influence and relationship with Indian politics. A useful understanding of the organisation therefore requires engagement with its history as well as awareness.
In this context, Jaju and Trivedi attempt to present the Sangh’s journey from the perspective of its evolution, experiences and stated vision. The book also looks towards the organisation’s future and the challenges before it as it enters its second century.
Spread across 16 chapters and 254 pages, the volume provides a relatively concise introduction to a subject that has generated extensive discussion for decades. Its appeal is likely to extend beyond committed followers of the Sangh to students of history, journalism, political science, contemporary India and anyone seeking to understand an organisation that has become an important part of the country’s public life.
A Century—And the Questions Ahead
The significance of a centenary is not merely in celebrating longevity; it also provides an opportunity to examine an organisation’s evolution, achievements, controversies and future direction.
The Hundred-Year Journey of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh can therefore serve as a useful starting point for readers curious about the organisation’s origins, growth, organisational philosophy, challenges and aspirations for the future.
Book: The Hundred-Year Journey of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Authors: Shyam Jaju & Anupam Trivedi
Publisher: Prabhat Prakashan
Length: 254 pages | 16 chapters
Price: Rs.500/-
(Book Reviewer:
Prof. S. S. Dogra
Author | Senior Journalist | Media Educator | Columnist | Documentary Filmmaker
Delhi Bureau Chief, Himalini Magazine, Nepal
Member, Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia)
