Gadkari Greets RSS Volunteers on Foundation Day
Synopsis
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari greeted RSS swayamsevaks on the organisation's Foundation Day, invoking the RSS prayer and saluting a century of national service and volunteerism by the world's largest volunteer organisation.
Key Takeaways
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari posted greetings on X on 20 October 2026 for the RSS Foundation Day .
The RSS was founded by Dr K.
Hedgewar in Nagpur on 27 September 1925 .
Gadkari invoked the RSS prayer Namaste Sada Vatsale Matrubhume and called the RSS the world's largest voluntary organisation.
He credited the RSS with guiding 'lakhs of swayamsevaks' along a path of sacrifice and national dedication over 100 years .
Senior BJP leaders routinely issue public tributes on RSS Foundation Day, reflecting the party's ideological ties to the organisation.
Gadkari is a former BJP national president (2009–2013) and a long-standing figure in the RSS-BJP ecosystem.
One hundred years of marching at dawn, building character in small-town grounds across India — and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's foundation day still draws tributes from the highest offices of the land. On Tuesday, 20 October 2026, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari greeted RSS volunteers on the organisation's foundation day, invoking a Sanskrit verse and the spirit of selfless national service.
Posting in Hindi on X, Gadkari opened with the lines of the RSS prayer — 'Namaste Sada Vatsale Matrubhume' ('I bow to you always, O beloved Motherland') — before extending 'heartfelt congratulations and best wishes to all swayamsevaks on the Foundation Day of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the world's largest voluntary organisation, which has inspired crores of Indians with the guiding mantras of national service and discipline.'
A Century of Swayamsevaks
The RSS was founded on 27 September 1925 by Dr K. B. Hedgewar in Nagpur — a small gathering of young men committed to character-building and Hindu cultural nationalism. What began in a single shakha grew into a network spanning virtually every district of India, with millions of volunteers carrying out social, educational, and disaster-relief work alongside its signature daily drills. Gadkari noted in his post that across this 100-year span, 'lakhs of swayamsevaks have been shown the path of sacrifice and dedication, rising above self-interest with a spirit of devotion to the nation.' He closed with 'Vande Mataram' — a phrase that has served as a rallying call since the independence movement.BJP's Ideological Roots and Annual Observance
The RSS holds a singular place in the political landscape as the acknowledged ideological parent of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Senior BJP leaders — including ministers, chief ministers, and the party's national officeholders — routinely mark the RSS Foundation Day with public messages each year, an observance that underlines the organisational and cultural bonds between the two bodies. Gadkari himself is a long-standing RSS pracharak-turned-politician who served as BJP national president from 2009 to 2013. The message carries added resonance in a centenary year: a milestone that the RSS and its affiliates have marked with special programmes and retrospectives across the country. A century on from that first shakha in Nagpur, the march, it seems, shows no sign of stopping.Point of View
A gesture that is simultaneously cultural, organisational, and political. For Gadkari — who came through the RSS's own cadre pipeline before becoming a cabinet heavyweight — the message carries biographical weight beyond routine courtesy. In a centenary year, such statements also serve a consolidating function, reminding the broader Sangh parivar that the BJP's electoral success and the RSS's ground network remain deeply intertwined. The invocation of the Sanskrit prayer, rather than just a plain congratulatory note, signals an appeal to cultural identity that resonates well beyond the party's formal membership.
NationPress
20 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the RSS founded?
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was founded on 27 September 1925 by Dr K. B. Hedgewar in Nagpur , Maharashtra.
Why did Nitin Gadkari congratulate the RSS?
Gadkari greeted RSS swayamsevaks on the organisation's Foundation Day, marking a century of national service, volunteerism, and character-building by the organisation.
What is the RSS Foundation Day prayer?
The RSS prayer begins with the Sanskrit verse Namaste Sada Vatsale Matrubhume , which translates as 'I bow to you always, O beloved Motherland,' and is recited at shakhas across India.
What is Nitin Gadkari's connection to the RSS?
Gadkari is a long-standing figure in the RSS-BJP ecosystem who served as BJP national president from 2009 to 2013 and is currently Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways.
What is the RSS centenary?
The RSS centenary marks 100 years since the organisation's founding in 1925, a milestone commemorated with special programmes and public tributes by leaders across the Sangh parivar.
