A century and one year of marching in formation — and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav marked the occasion on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, with a heartfelt tribute to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on its 101st Foundation Day, saluting the organisation's long journey of nation-building and cultural service.

In his post on X, Dr. Yadav wrote: 'राष्ट्र के नवनिर्माण व गौरवशाली इतिहास की पुनर्स्थापना के संकल्प के लिए समर्पित राष्ट्रीय स्वयंसेवक संघ के 101वें स्थापना दिवस की हार्दिक बधाई एवं शुभकामनाएं।' — 'Heartfelt congratulations and best wishes on the 101st Foundation Day of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, dedicated to the resolve of rebuilding the nation and restoring its glorious history.' He added that over its long journey, the RSS has produced 'unprecedented leadership and countless swayamsevaks devoted to Mother India,' and closed with a blessing: 'May you, as symbols of discipline, dedication and hard work, realise your resolve for the motherland.'

101 years since Hedgewar's founding call in Nagpur

The RSS was founded on 27 September 1925 in Nagpur by Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, a physician-turned-organiser who believed India's freedom struggle needed a parallel movement of disciplined, selfless volunteers rooted in Hindu cultural identity. What began as a small shakha — a daily assembly of young men doing drills and discussing dharma — has since grown into one of the world's largest voluntary organisations, spanning thousands of shakhas across India and an extensive network of affiliated bodies.

The organisation's centenary in 2025 was marked with large-scale nationwide events that drew renewed national attention to its century-long model of grassroots character-building, volunteerism and what it describes as 'cultural nationalism.' The 101st year carries the symbolic weight of entering a second century of organised service.

BJP's bond with the RSS — a relationship on public display

Dr. Yadav has served as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh since December 2023, and his greeting is consistent with a well-established pattern: BJP chief ministers and senior leaders in power-holding states publicly mark RSS Foundation Day each year, reflecting the deep organisational and ideological ties between the two. The RSS is widely credited with providing the BJP its cadre backbone — a network of trained, disciplined volunteers who power election campaigns, ground outreach and booth-level mobilisation.

These annual messages serve a dual function: they honour an organisation that commands deep loyalty among the party's core base, while reinforcing a shared vocabulary of rashtra seva — national service — that runs through BJP governance rhetoric. Dr. Yadav's emphasis on 'discipline, dedication and hard work' as defining RSS values echoes the language the Sangh itself uses in its self-description.

The swayamsevak as a governing ideal

At its heart, the RSS model trains ordinary citizens — swayamsevaks, meaning 'self-servers' or volunteers — to subordinate personal ambition to collective purpose. It is this model of selfless, trained service that Dr. Yadav invokes when he urges swayamsevaks to 'realise their resolve for the motherland.' For a BJP-governed state like Madhya Pradesh, the RSS network is not merely an ideological ally but a practical infrastructure of engaged citizens stretching down to the village level.

One hundred and one years in, the Sangh's influence on India's political and social landscape remains as consequential as ever — and the Chief Minister's morning post made certain that Madhya Pradesh was counted among those marking the milestone.