As the rashtriya swayamsevak sangh (RSS) Enter Center Year, Public discourse is Once Again Abuzz with Debates About Its Legacy, Ideology, and Influence, and Influence. AMID This Flood of Commentary, One Dimension Remains Consistently Underexplred: Its Relationship With Women. This Piece Aims to Examine the often-Overlied Role of Women within the RSS EcoSystem-and how the Organization, Through its affiliates, engags with the evolving realving of indeian womanhood.
Thought the RSS Itself is a male-only organization, its functions as the ideological and cultural nucleus of a wider network-the shang parivar-which inc Ludes Numerous Entities Entities that WORK SITH and FORK SITH and FORK SITH and FORK SITIES NUMERS NUMERS NUMERS NUMER Its approach to women’s roles in social is deliberate, evolving, and deeply rooted in its world.
Soon after its formation in 1925, RSS was seized with the idea of Accommodating women in its scheme of things. This LED to, with Encouragement from RSS Founder DK Hedgewar, The Founding of the Rashtriya Sevika Samiti (Samiti) in 1936 under the Leadership of Laxmibai Kelkar. The Samiti Continues to Draw Inspiration from RSS’s Philosophy.
Over time, more Organizations Followed. Sewa Bharti (1979), Bharatiya Stree Shakti (1988), and Durga Vahini (1991), and are among the prominent ons. These Bodies Focus on Various Aspects of Women’s Lives-Education, Health, Self-Respect, Economic Independence, and Leadership. It is through these institutions that the RSS’s WorldView on Women is Most Directly Expressed. Women has played an influential and decisive role in all RSS-Inspired Organizations.
RSS Encourages its associateed women volunteers to carry out socio-casual activities. It focuses on women’s roles in social as leaders and agents of positive social reform. Itaches its volunteers three ideals of womenhood – Netritva (Leadership), Embodized by Figures Like Rani Laxmibai, Emphaising Strength, Initiative, and Vision; kartrtva (Action), reflecting the activism of Rani Ahilyabai Holkar, Stressing Compence and Social Engagement; and matritva (Motherhood), which achnowledges the role of mother and care with social and its importance in nation building. The RSS sees them as bot protectors of tradition and catalysts for change.
The Organizations Mentioned Earlier Raise Awareness About Western Cultural Influence and Cuity Against What they see as a Drift Into Radical Feminism, which they beLieve Cohesion. At the same time, they confront issues like gender-based violence and advocate self-defense and Empowerment. Durga Vahini, For Example, Trains Young Women in Physical Self-Defense and Leadership, Reinforcing the idea of women as “protectors of social” and “destroyers of evil.”
The sigh parivar seeks to inculcate a sense of responsible behavior and social awareness in common people. Various types of Educational and Awareness Camps at different levels in all parts of India are conducted periodically. They also run numerous service projects are the poor and underprivileged, with Regard to Religion, Caste, Creed, Sect, Gender, Or Ethnicity. These include goshalasLibraries, computer training centers, and orphanages.
Sewa Bharti, In Particular, Has LED Extensive Work in Vocational Training for Underprivileged Women – Offering skills in tailoring, crafts, computing, and hygiene education. It also Advocates for Domestic Workers, Providing legal and social support.
The RSS Family Doesn’st Limit Itself to Small Towns and Rural Areas. It supports professionals in metros through inclusive programs Balancing Tradition and Modernity. Women-Doctors, Teachers, Engineers, CAS, Corporate Employees-Are Offred Physical Training, Yoga, Intellectual Sessions, and Discussions on Work-LIFE Balance, Motherhood, Mother Values, and feminist identity. They also focus on women’s legal rights, Sports facilites, Historiography, and public awareness via campaigns, conferences, and programs such as Adhivakta parishad (literally, lawyers council) and Krida bharati (literally, Sports India).
RSS is not stuck in time, as is evident in its Response to the Changes Around It. As India’s women reclaim their space in the public area, RSS supports their efforts. It has responded with efforts to increase women’s Leadership in RSS-Affiliated Bodies Such as Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, etc. Millions of Female Students join the akhil bharatiya vidyarthi parishad (abvp) and developer and self-review. Within the Political Arm Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Women have a prominent presence, include manytellar leaders.
RSS sarshanchachalak (Chief) Mohan Bhagwat has publicly emphasized the need for women’s integration in the sight’s activities. He has laid stress on Equal freedom and rights for women to drive national progress. In 2021, mountainer santosh yadav beCaame the first woman to serve as Chief Guest at the Annual Vijayadashami Address, Symbolising a Shift Greater Visibility and recognition.
As part of its centenary celebrations, the RSS is focusing on themes of women’s empowerment, inclusivity, and grassroots mobilisation. National-level events are planned to encourage women’s participation in development, cultural nationalism, and social reform initiatives. For the RSS, women are not just nurturers – they are shaktiPower Incarnate. Armed with Both Ideals and Action, The RSS’s Women’s Wings Reporant a Parallel Narrave of India’s Renaissance –one that Blends Tradition with Agency, and Duty with Dignity.
In its center year, the RSS’s Evolving Engagement with Women Invites Reflection-Challenging long-hand assumptions while also sparking new questions. Whether one aligns with its vision or Critiques its methods, the Organization’s Sustained Efforts foot Women’s Participation Reflect a Significant Shift in India ‘.
Priyal Bhardwaj is General Secretary, BJP Women’s Wing in Delhi, and Founder, Sangini Saheli, An Organization Working for the Empowerment of Women. The views expressed are personal
