The top functionaries of the Rashtriya Swaymsevak Sangh (RSS) on Sunday discussed ways to strengthen the Sangh Parivar and reach out to all States in the country by expanding its 'Shakhas' base to one lakh by 2025 to coincide with its centenary. The RSS currently has around 60,000 Shakhas across the country.
The RSS, the ideological mentor of the BJP, is holding its three-day annual national coordination meet in Raipur.
The meeting discussed various organizational and national issues including security and religious conversion as it sought to draw a road-map to have at least one lakh 'Shakhas' by 2025. The 'Samanvaya Baithk' that commenced on Saturday is being attended by RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, and BJP president J P Nadda among others will end on Monday. RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale and five of the outfit’s Joint-general secretaries are part of the discussion. Besides, Bhartiya Majdoor Sangh’s Hiranaymay Pandya, VHP’s Alok Kumar, ABVP’s Ashish Chouhan, Bhartiya Kisan Snagh’s Dinesh Kulkarni and Vanvasi Ashram’s Ramchandra Kharadi are also attending the meet.
In the backdrop of coming assembly polls in around a dozen states by the year-end and next year, representatives of 36 RSS organizations are attending the coordination meeting. The RSS is looking at significantly expanding its shakha (branches) network by 2025 to mark its centenary year. "The meeting looked at expansion and planned ways to reach out to all states in the country", sources said. The RSS and BJP leaders discussed the strategy to win back states-Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand—where BJP is not in power, sources said.
Chhattisgarh which is slated for assembly polls in November 2023 has been a special focus of discussion in the meet, they said. "Religious conversion in Chhattisgarh is one of the main issues", sources said.
Issues relating to national security were part of the agenda of the meeting, they said. The annual coordination meeting of the RSS and the BJP takes stock of key organizational and current national issues. "Various issues related to the society and national security would be discussed”, RSS Chief publicity-in-charge Sunil Ambekar said earlier this week.
This apart, various outfits of the RSS are presenting their progress reports in the meeting.
In some of the meetings in the past senior BJP central Ministers too have taken part and given presentations of their ministries.