Shekhawat greets RSS volunteers on foundation day
Synopsis
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat greeted RSS volunteers on the organisation's foundation day, crediting it with awakening cultural pride, strengthening India's national identity, and fostering social harmony.
Key Takeaways
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat posted a Hindi tribute on X on October 20, 2026 for RSS Foundation Day.
He called the RSS's role in building India's national identity and cultural pride 'most important.' The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was founded on Vijayadashami, 1925 , by Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in Nagpur .
Shekhawat urged the RSS's resolve on national unity and social harmony to 'continue to move forward ceaselessly.' Senior BJP leaders routinely issue such tributes on RSS Foundation Day, reflecting the deep ideological links between the two organisations.
A centenary-old organisation that shaped modern India's cultural conscience marked another foundation day on Tuesday, October 20 — and Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat used the occasion to publicly honour the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its crores of volunteers.
Posting in Hindi on X, Shekhawat extended warm greetings to all 'respected volunteers' and credited the RSS with playing 'the most important role' in awakening pride in Indian culture and glorious traditions, strengthening the nation's identity, and instilling self-confidence among citizens. He concluded with a call for the organisation's resolve — towards national unity, social harmony, and honour — to 'continue to move forward ceaselessly.'
A century of swayamsevaks: the RSS story
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was founded on Vijayadashami, 1925, by Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in Nagpur, Maharashtra. What began as a small shakha — a daily drill-and-discussion gathering — grew into one of the world's largest volunteer organisations, built around the twin pillars of Hindu cultural pride and disciplined character formation. Its network of shakhas, spread across every district of India, has long served as a grassroots organising force for both social service and ideological outreach.BJP–RSS bond: a routine ritual with real weight
Shekhawat's message is part of a well-established pattern: senior BJP leaders — many of whom are RSS alumni themselves — issue public tributes on foundation day, reaffirming the ideological and organisational kinship between the two bodies. The RSS is widely regarded as the parent ideological body of the BJP, and its Vijayadashami address by the Sarsanghchalak each year is closely watched for signals on cultural and national policy. For a minister who helms the Culture portfolio, echoing the RSS's own stated mission of cultural pride carries particular resonance. The kicker writes itself: when India's Culture Minister says the RSS has done more than anyone else to build the nation's identity, it is both a birthday greeting and a statement of governing philosophy.Point of View
Where the state and the sangh are presented as pursuing the same civilisational mission. The choice of language — 'most important role' in building national identity — goes well beyond a courtesy greeting and functions as a policy signal. Watch for whether the Sarsanghchalak's Vijayadashami address this year reciprocates with references to government cultural policy.
NationPress
20 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh founded?
The RSS was founded on Vijayadashami in 1925 by Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar in Nagpur, Maharashtra .
What did Gajendra Singh Shekhawat say about the RSS on foundation day?
Shekhawat credited the RSS with 'the most important role' in awakening pride in Indian culture, strengthening national identity, and instilling self-confidence among citizens.
Why do BJP leaders wish the RSS on foundation day?
The BJP and RSS share deep ideological and organisational roots — the RSS is widely regarded as the BJP's parent body — making foundation-day tributes a regular and politically significant tradition.
What is Gajendra Singh Shekhawat's current position?
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat is the Union Minister of Culture and Tourism , a senior BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur, Rajasthan .
What is the RSS Vijayadashami significance?
Vijayadashami is the RSS's most important annual occasion — the organisation was founded on this day in 1925, and the Sarsanghchalach delivers a closely watched address every year on this date.
