Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Sunday, 20 September 2026, declared casteism and untouchability a 'blot' on Hindu society, calling for a collective national resolve to eradicate discrimination from the grassroots up. Speaking before a gathering of approximately 30,000 swayamsevaks at Lal Parade Ground in Bhopal, Hosabale said the responsibility of nation-building and social service extends far beyond the RSS cadre alone.

Key Remarks on Caste and Discrimination

Hosabale argued that caste-based discrimination fundamentally weakens society and cannot be dismantled through legislation, sermons, or the intervention of any divine figure alone. 'The change must begin from one's own home and personal conduct,' he emphasised, urging every individual to resolve neither to practise caste discrimination nor to tolerate untouchability in any form.

He warned that treating oneself as separate on the basis of caste, sect, language, or region dilutes the organisational strength of society. Drawing a pointed analogy, he noted that four fingers remain weak in isolation but gain force when clenched into a fist — society, he said, must organise itself similarly to fulfil its role in national progress.

Patriotism as a Daily Practice

Hosabale challenged the notion that patriotism is a sentiment reserved for occasions such as 26 January. Every citizen, he said, must maintain a 24-hour commitment to their village, locality, and society. He urged people to dedicate at least one hour daily in a selfless manner within their neighbourhoods, reinforcing the RSS's emphasis on individual character-building through its shakha system, which it describes as transcending barriers of caste and language.

Service, Floods, and Community Action

Pointing to the recent Assam floods, Hosabale noted that Seva Bharati swayamsevaks had conducted relief work, but that youth and college students from across communities had also participated in large numbers. He stressed that crisis response is a shared civic duty and not the exclusive remit of RSS workers or government administration — residents, he said, must take ownership of their localities.

Environment, Culture, and the Panch Parivartan Framework

On environmental stewardship, Hosabale said passing resolutions from public platforms is insufficient. Responsible action — planting trees, reducing energy consumption, keeping rivers clean — must be practised in homes, schools, workplaces, and streets. He also called for transmitting cultural values drawn from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and the teachings of saints to the younger generation.

Framing the gathering within the RSS's centenary year, Hosabale invoked the organisation's concept of Panch Parivartan — a five-pronged focus on social harmony, family values, environmental conservation, self-awareness, and civic duties. He closed by recalling India's nearly 5,000-year civilisational journey, noting that the nation has weathered many crises; what matters, he said, is society's collective capacity to confront challenges rather than the problems themselves.