Chandigarh, March 13 Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Joint General Secretary C R Mukunda on Friday said special emphasis is being placed on expanding 'shakhas' and engaging with society through outreach programs to mark the organization's centenary year.
Mukunda elaborated on the Sangh's plan to mark its centenary, stating that two types of programs have been planned – organizational growth, focused on expanding 'shakhas', and concerted efforts to engage with society, fostering harmony within it, and mobilizing all the virtuous forces of the community to dedicate themselves to social transformation and public awakening.
He added that a 'grihasampark abhiyan' (mass contact program) is being carried out.
In Kerala, volunteers contacted over 55,000 Muslim and 54,000 Christian homes under the outreach initiative, he said at a press conference in Samalkha, Panipat.
RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale inaugurated a three-day meeting of the RSS's top decision-making body, the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), in Pattikalyana, Samalkha.
The meeting includes detailed discussions on major programs and campaigns organized as part of the celebrations, including Hindu Sammelans, youth conferences, gatherings of prominent citizens, and social harmony meetings.
Meanwhile, as the meeting began, tributes were paid to departed souls, including former Union Minister Shivraj Patil, former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, actor Dharmendra, Tamil film producer A V M Saravanan, former Mizoram Governor Swaraj Kaushal, and Communist leader R Nallakannu.
Mukunda addressed the media, discussing the RSS's "panch parivartan" initiative, which focuses on social harmony, preservation of family values, environmental protection, selfhood, and self-reliance, and adherence to legal, civic, and constitutional duties.
The RSS has reached out to more than 10 crore homes under "grihasampark," he said, adding that over 3 lakh villages have been covered, and the organization is also seeing a positive impact from "sabbhav gosti" and "pramukh nagrik gostis."
In Kerala, the RSS reached out to various households, including Muslims, Christians, and those with communist leanings.
During these visits, volunteers met families personally and engaged in dialogue about the RSS.
"We received a warm welcome everywhere we went. Our 'swayamsevaks' reached out to 55,000 Muslim and 54,000 Christian homes," Mukunda said, adding that the Sangh also reached tribal regions through its outreach initiative.
He said the RSS welcomes the efforts being made by the central government to bring peace and development to Naxal-affected regions.
He also noted that the improving situation of peace and stability in Manipur is encouraging, and that RSS swayamsevaks have played a meaningful role in these efforts.
He added that a difficult situation persists in Bangladesh. Therefore, the Sangh urges the government there to undertake whatever efforts are necessary to safeguard the rights and interests of Hindus.
Regarding the West Asia conflict, he said the crisis should end soon, which is what we and the Indian society believe.
He said the work of the RSS continues to grow steadily, with new shakhas starting in several new locations over the past year.
He added that the organization aims to start more and more shakhas in villages and small towns in the coming years, with the broader objective of bringing positive change in social life.
Hindu Sammelans have been held at more than 36,000 places in the country, and more are planned, including urban, rural, and remote tribal areas.
One notable example came from a remote region of Arunachal Pradesh, where participants said they were experiencing such a sense of warmth and belonging for the first time.
The Sangh's ongoing endeavour involves engaging prominent citizens across various localities to serve as key community leaders.
BJP chief Nitin Nabin and presidents and other senior functionaries of its 32 sister organizations, among others, will attend the key three-day meeting.
To foster harmony within society, we are collaborating at the block level with local community leaders, heads of spiritual organizations, and heads of religious centres, Mukunda said.
"Together, we aim to deliberate upon and implement positive initiatives that bring about necessary social reforms. Specifically, the Sangh has identified five transformations," he said.
Mukunda said that RSS chief Dr Mohan Bhagwat has also been actively engaging with society on various subjects by participating in programs held in state capitals as well as the four major metropolitan cities Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata.
He said he recently interacted directly with citizens during programs held in four metropolitan cities alone, where he responded to more than 1,000 questions from participants.
The entire question-and-answer interaction with citizens during these events took over 20 hours in total, he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Sunil Ambekar had said the three-day meeting will review the activities of the Sangh during 2025-26 and present reports on significant initiatives carried out across various regions.
The meeting is being attended by RSS senior office-bearers, along with members of the national executive body. A total of over 1,400 'karyakartas' will participate, including elected representatives and key office-bearers from various parts.
In addition, presidents, general secretaries, and organising secretaries of 32 affiliated organisations will also be present.
According to the figures presented in the annual report of the RSS, last year 83,129 shakhas were being conducted at 51,740 places across the country. This number has now increased to 88,949 shakhas at 55,683 places.
In this way, 3,943 new places have been added in a year, and the total number of shakhas has grown by 5,820, reflecting the steady expansion of the organization's activities.