CM Samrat Choudhary Pays Tribute to Rashtra Sevika Samiti Founder
Synopsis
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary paid tribute on 6 July 2026 to Laxmibai Kelkar, founder of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, on her birth anniversary, honouring her legacy of women's empowerment and national service rooted in cultural-nationalist ideals.
Key Takeaways
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary posted a tribute to Laxmibai Kelkar on her birth anniversary on 6 July 2026 .
Laxmibai Kelkar founded the Rashtra Sevika Samiti on 25 October 1936 as a women's counterpart to the RSS .
Choudhary honoured her dedication to nari shakti , sanskar , and national service in his post.
The Rashtra Sevika Samiti operates as a nationwide women's volunteer body with branches across India, including Bihar .
BJP leaders have consistently issued tributes to RSS-linked historical figures on jayantis as part of the party's cultural-nationalist messaging since the 1980s .
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Monday, 6 July 2026, paid tribute to Laxmibai Kelkar, founder of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, on her birth anniversary, honouring her legacy of women's service and cultural nationalism through a post on X.
Choudhary wrote, 'Rashtra Sevika Samiti' ki sansthapika Laxmibai Kelkar ji ki jayanti par unhe shat-shat naman ['Heartfelt salutations to Laxmibai Kelkar, founder of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, on her birth anniversary']. He added that her dedication to nari shakti [women's empowerment], sanskar [cultural values], and national service 'will always remain inspiring.'
Context
Laxmibai Kelkar founded the Rashtra Sevika Samiti on 25 October 1936, establishing one of India's earliest organised platforms for women rooted in cultural and nationalist ideals. Her work sought to mobilise women around the principles of character-building, service, and the preservation of Hindu cultural values — drawing direct inspiration from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
The Samiti has since grown into a nationwide women's volunteer body with branches across Indian states, including Bihar, continuing its emphasis on seva [service] and sanskar.
Policy Backdrop
Tributes to RSS-linked historical figures on their birth anniversaries have been a consistent feature of BJP leaders' public communication since the 1980s. Such commemorations frame cultural-nationalist icons as exemplars of nari shakti, reinforcing a broader party narrative that positions women's empowerment within a civilisational and service-oriented framework.
Samrat Choudhary, as a senior BJP leader and Bihar Chief Minister, has regularly highlighted such figures in public statements, consistent with the party's practice of acknowledging the Sangh Parivar's ideological heritage.
Stakeholders and Impact
The tribute is directly relevant to the Rashtra Sevika Samiti's membership and its network of women volunteers across Bihar and the rest of India. It also resonates with BJP's Mahila Morcha, the party's women's wing, whose messaging frequently invokes similar icons of women's national service.
For the broader RSS ecosystem, acknowledgement from a sitting Chief Minister on such an anniversary carries institutional significance, reinforcing ties between electoral politics and the Sangh's cultural organisations.
What's Next
State-level commemorative events by Rashtra Sevika Samiti branches in Bihar and parallel observances by the BJP Mahila Morcha are expected around this anniversary. Such jayanti programmes typically include community gatherings, cultural events, and pledge-taking ceremonies at the local level.
Choudhary's public tribute signals continued alignment between the Bihar government and the cultural-nationalist women's movement that Laxmibai Kelkar pioneered — a pattern likely to persist as the BJP deepens its outreach among women voters ahead of future electoral cycles.
Point of View
Reinforcing the BJP's ideological continuity with the Sangh Parivar's foundational figures. By invoking nari shakti in this context, the BJP frames women's empowerment not merely as a welfare agenda but as a civilisational inheritance — a distinction that sharpens the party's identity politics. Such jayanti tributes also serve an organisational function, energising cadre networks like the Rashtra Sevika Samiti and the Mahila Morcha ahead of electoral cycles. The pattern reflects how the BJP uses the Chief Minister's platform to simultaneously perform governance and ideological commitment.
NationPress
6 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Laxmibai Kelkar?
Laxmibai Kelkar was the founder of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, a women's volunteer organisation she established on 25 October 1936 to promote women's national service, character-building, and Hindu cultural values, drawing inspiration from the RSS.
What is the Rashtra Sevika Samiti?
The Rashtra Sevika Samiti is a nationwide women's volunteer body founded in 1936, functioning as a women's counterpart to the RSS. It focuses on seva, sanskar, and cultural preservation, with branches across India including Bihar.
Why did Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary pay tribute to Laxmibai Kelkar?
Samrat Choudhary paid tribute on her birth anniversary, a practice common among BJP leaders who regularly honour RSS-affiliated historical figures as part of the party's cultural-nationalist public messaging.
What does nari shakti mean in this context?
Nari shakti literally means 'women's power' or 'women's strength.' In this context, Choudhary used it to honour Laxmibai Kelkar's contribution to organising and empowering women for national service within a cultural-nationalist framework.
What is Samrat Choudhary's political role?
Samrat Choudhary is the Chief Minister of Bihar and a senior leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), known for regularly highlighting cultural-nationalist figures and RSS-linked heritage in his public statements.
