One hundred and one years of unbroken resolve — and Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary marked the milestone with a pointed tribute to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on its Foundation Day, 20 October 2026, calling the organisation's century-long journey a symbol of dedication to the nation, responsibility to society, and preservation of cultural values.

Writing in Hindi, Choudhary invoked the RSS's founding philosophy in unambiguous terms: 'राष्ट्र प्रथम का संकल्प' — 'the resolve to put the nation first.' He described the organisation's work as an 'aviral sadhana' — a ceaseless pursuit — rooted in unwavering loyalty to the motherland, upliftment of every section of society, and the primacy of national interest above all else.

From Nagpur's first shakha to 101 years of character-building

The RSS was founded on 27 September 1925 in Nagpur by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, with the stated mission of organising Hindu society through daily shakhas and value-based training. What began as a small cultural-nationalist movement grew, over a century, into one of the largest volunteer organisations in the world — its daily drills, morning prayers, and emphasis on discipline shaping generations of public figures across India's political and social landscape.

Choudhary's post captures the ideological throughline that the RSS projects for itself: the idea that building disciplined individuals is the foundational act of building a nation. 'Vyakti nirman se rashtra nirman' — 'from individual-building to nation-building' — he wrote, framing service, discipline, and a sense of duty as the organisation's enduring engine.

BJP's ties to the RSS — and why the tribute matters politically

The Bharatiya Janata Party, formed in 1980, has drawn a significant share of its leadership and ground-level organisational muscle from RSS backgrounds. Choudhary himself is a senior BJP leader, and his public tribute follows a well-established pattern: BJP chief ministers and central leaders routinely issue formal acknowledgements on RSS Foundation Day, underscoring the ideological lineage the party openly claims.

The timing also carries weight. As the RSS crosses the 101-year mark — a number that, in Indian cultural tradition, signals the formal beginning of a new centennial chapter — tributes from constitutional office-holders like Choudhary carry an institutional weight that a private message never could. It is a signal, as much as a salute.

The organisation's service journey, as Choudhary put it, 'satsat jari hai' — continues without pause. For Bihar's chief minister, that continuity is not a footnote. It is the point.