Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Monday, 6 July 2026 paid tribute to Lakshmibai Kelkar, founder of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, on her birth anniversary, hailing her as a pioneering force in women's nationalist organisation and social harmony.

Posting in Hindi on X, the Chief Minister wrote: 'Rashtra Sevika Samiti ki sansthapika, matru shakti jagaran ki agradoot evam prakhar rashtravadi vicharak shraddheya Lakshmibai Kelkar ji ki jayanti par unhe shat-shat naman!' — translated as: 'On the birth anniversary of the revered Lakshmibai Kelkar — founder of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti, pioneer of the awakening of women's power, and a fierce nationalist thinker — I offer her a hundred salutations!' He added that her contribution to the organisation of women's power, social harmony, and the awakening of national consciousness 'will always remain a source of inspiration.'

Context

Lakshmibai Kelkar (1905–1978) established the Rashtra Sevika Samiti on 25 October 1936 at Wardha, Maharashtra, making it one of India's earliest organised platforms for women within the broader nationalist movement. The Samiti was conceived as a women's counterpart to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), focusing on physical training, social service, and cultural nationalism. Kelkar is widely referred to within Sangh Parivar circles as 'Mausiji' (revered aunt), a term of deep affection and respect.

Her vision centred on the concept of 'matru shakti' — the organised strength of women as mothers and nation-builders — a framework that continues to define the Samiti's ideology and programmes across India.

Policy Backdrop

The Rashtra Sevika Samiti today operates through a network of shakhas (branches) across India, conducting physical drills, cultural activities, and social service initiatives. It has historically remained outside formal government structures but has been acknowledged by BJP-led administrations as a significant contributor to grassroots women's empowerment and social cohesion.

Since 2014, tributes by BJP leaders to RSS-affiliated founders and icons have grown markedly in visibility, forming part of a broader cultural-nationalist outreach that seeks to spotlight pre-independence organisational work outside the Congress-led freedom movement. Chief Minister Sharma, who assumed office in December 2023, has consistently issued public acknowledgements of Sangh Parivar figures as part of Rajasthan's state-level cultural calendar.

Stakeholders and Impact

The tribute is directed primarily at members and supporters of the Rashtra Sevika Samiti and allied women's nationalist groups, for whom Kelkar's jayanti is a significant commemorative occasion. More broadly, it signals the Rajasthan government's alignment with the cultural-nationalist narrative that places women's agency within a Hindu nationalist framework.

Women's self-help networks, RSS-affiliated organisations, and BJP's women's wings across Rajasthan are the immediate stakeholders who amplify such messaging at the grassroots level, reinforcing ideological continuity between state governance and Sangh Parivar values.

What's Next

State-level commemorative events in Rajasthan marking Kelkar's birth anniversary are likely to follow, with Samiti branches potentially organising shakha programmes and social service activities. Observers will watch for any formal government announcements linking women's empowerment schemes with cultural organisations associated with the Sangh ecosystem. The broader pattern suggests that such tributes will continue to be a regular feature of the Sharma administration's public communications calendar.