08-07-2025
RSS to hold 1L meets to bridge caste discords in Hindu society
Lucknow: The
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
will organise more than one lakh Hindu Sammelans across the country to hold discussions on "internal misconceptions" within the Hindu society and ways to bridge them through "mutual respect" and dialogue.
These sammelans will be part of RSS centenary celebrations and will begin from Dussehra on Oct 2.
A senior RSS functionary who attended the Akhil Bhartiya Prant Pracharak meeting of Sangh in Delhi said Hindu sammelans will address issues like caste differences which are deep rooted within the Hindu social order. "The Sangh will initiate a direct dialogue with the people to address the caste difference for a wider and robust Hindu unity," the RSS functionary said.
The discussions could help the BJP counter opposition's caste narrative—like the Picchda, Dalit, Alpsankhyak (PDA)—ahead of upcoming electoral battles, including the Bihar assembly polls this year and even UP elections in 2027.
"The biggest challenge before the Hindu society is that of caste differences and socio-economic backwardness of lower castes," the RSS functionary said, adding that the change in social perception needs to be reflected in overall public behaviour.
He said pracharaks and karyakartas from 46 prants (as per RSS organisational structure) attended the three-day Delhi meeting between July 4 and 6 and shared detailed reports on Sangh's work and expansion of its outreach.
RSS plans to organise Hindu Sammelans in 1,03,009 locations — 58,964 mandals (urban centres) and 44,055 bastis (rural centres). A'Ghar-Ghar Sampark Abhiyan' is also being planned to reach out to maximum households.
RSS national prachar pramukh Sunil Ambedkar said on Monday that during the Delhi meeting Sangh primarily held discussions on engaging society more effectively and encouraged broader public participation in constructive work. He said that while the country was moving forward, it is not enough to progress solely in terms of economy and technology. "It is equally important to have unique characteristics of our society, such as individual welfare, living together harmoniously, and being mindful of the environment," he said, adding that the main goal for the centenary year was inclusive outreach across professions, geographies, and communities to foster holistic social integration.
For decades, a political analyst said, RSS has advocated Hindu unity through the lens of cultural nationalism rather than through direct engagement with entrenched caste inequalities. The new emphasis on "internal misconceptions" and caste disparities indicates a clear pivot—one that acknowledges the deep-rooted fault lines within Hindu society. "This could mark the Sangh's most structured outreach to Dalits, OBCs, and marginalised castes, moving beyond symbolism to active social discourse," the analyst said.
The initiative comes in the backdrop of opposition parties, especially the Samajwadi Party and Congress' aggressive push for "social justice" and the PDA narrative. Analysts said RSS's attempt to dilute caste divisions under the banner of Hindu unity could blunt the emerging 'Mandal 2.0 wave'. Experts also believe that RSS plans, however, will face the test of lower castes genuinely feeling included instead of taking it just as top-down tokenism.
