Anurag Thakur Greets RSS Volunteers on Foundation Day
Synopsis
BJP MP Anurag Thakur extended warm greetings to RSS volunteers on the organisation's foundation day, praising the Sangh's century-long commitment to nation-building, discipline and voluntary service — a recurring annual gesture that reflects deep BJP-Sangh ideological proximity.
Key Takeaways
BJP MP Anurag Thakur (Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh) posted foundation-day greetings to RSS volunteers on 20 October 2026 .
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was founded on Vijayadashami 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in Nagpur .
Thakur described the RSS as 'the world's largest voluntary organisation' and an emblem of national service and discipline.
His message used the RSS's own framing of vyakti nirman se rashtra nirman — from individual-building to nation-building.
Foundation-day greetings from BJP MPs to the RSS are an established annual practice reflecting documented organisational proximity between the two bodies.
A century-old organisation rooted in the Sanskrit salutation Namaste Sada Vatsale Matrubhume — 'Always Salutations to the Motherland' — marked another foundation day on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, and BJP MP Anurag Thakur was among the prominent voices extending greetings to its millions of volunteers across India.
Thakur, the Lok Sabha MP from Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh and former Union Minister, posted in Hindi on X, offering 'heartfelt congratulations to all swayamsevaks on the foundation day of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh — the world's largest voluntary organisation and an unparalleled symbol of national service, discipline and patriotism.' He described the RSS as an institution that has established itself 'through sacrifice, penance and dedication — moving from individual character-building to nation-building, from values to service.'
Founded on Vijayadashami 1925 in Nagpur
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was founded on Vijayadashami day in 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in Nagpur, anchoring its annual celebration to one of Hinduism's most auspicious festival days. The choice was deliberate — Vijayadashami symbolises the victory of righteousness — and the tradition of founding-day observances has continued unbroken for over a century. The RSS describes its mission as character formation, discipline and voluntary national service, organising daily shakhas (branches) in towns and villages across India.
BJP-Sangh Proximity Reflected in Annual Ritual
Foundation-day greetings from BJP leaders to the RSS are a recurring annual practice, reflecting the well-documented organisational and ideological closeness between the party and the broader Sangh Parivar. Thakur's message is consistent with that pattern — warm, reverent in tone, and centred on the themes of nationalism and volunteerism that both organisations have publicly emphasised since the mid-twentieth century. His specific phrase — 'vyakti nirman se rashtra nirman' (from individual-building to nation-building) — mirrors the RSS's own long-standing articulation of its purpose.
For a movement that began with a handful of young men in Nagpur's Mohitewada locality, reaching its centenary year while retaining the political and cultural salience to draw greetings from sitting parliamentarians says something about its endurance. Whether the next Vijayadashami brings fresh organisational milestones or policy adjacencies, BJP leaders will almost certainly be watching — and posting.
Point of View
Signalling loyalty and ideological continuity to a volunteer base that forms a critical mobilisation backbone. With Vijayadashami serving as the ritual anchor, these greetings are as much about reaffirming present alliances as they are about honouring past milestones.
NationPress
20 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the RSS founded and by whom?
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was founded on Vijayadashami day in 1925 by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in Nagpur , Maharashtra.
What did Anurag Thakur say about the RSS on its foundation day?
Anurag Thakur called the RSS 'the world's largest voluntary organisation' and praised it as an unparalleled symbol of national service, discipline and patriotism, expressing gratitude to all swayamsevaks for their dedication.
What does RSS foundation day celebrate?
RSS foundation day commemorates the organisation's establishment on Vijayadashami in 1925, marking over a century of the Sangh's mission of character-building, discipline and voluntary national service.
Why do BJP leaders regularly greet the RSS on its foundation day?
BJP leaders and the RSS share well-documented organisational and ideological proximity as part of the broader Sangh Parivar; foundation-day greetings are an established annual practice that reflects this relationship.
Who is Anurag Thakur?
Anurag Thakur is a BJP Lok Sabha MP from Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, and a former Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting as well as Youth Affairs and Sports.
