Craze for RSS among youth rising: spokesperson

Young Indians have been showing a keen interest in the RSS in recent times, with more than 1.25 lakh youth from the country and abroad getting in touch with the organisation last year, publicity in-charge Manmohan Vaidya said today.
In 2013, 28,000 people below 30 years of age had approached the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). From 2014 to 2016-end, the number of young people who wished to join the Sangh crossed 80,000, he said.
"The craze for the RSS among the youth is rising as only 28,000 youngsters had shown an interest in joining the Sangh in 2013. The number jumped to 1.25 lakh last year," said Vaidya, adding that among the enthusiasts were young NRIs and women.

Most of those hoping to join the RSS were professionals in the 20-35-year age group and approached the RSS through its website, Vaidya told reporters here on the sidelines of the RSS's Pratinidhi Sabha, which is to begin tomorrow.
Women who were interested in the RSS were directed to its women's front.
Emphasising that the work of the RSS had expanded substantially in the last 20 years, Vidya said this was evident from the fact that over 1.45 lakh Sangh workers -- 60 per cent of them newcomers -- attended its Rashtra Uday Samagam this year in Meerut. About 1 lakh volunteers were below the age of 40.

About 20,000 people had attended the event in 1998 in the same city, he added.

Vaidya said the objective behind such programmes was to reach out to the people and spread awareness about the philosophy of the RSS.
Referring to the meeting that starts tomorrow, the RSS designated spokesperson said from 2007 the organisation had begun an initiative called the "Samajik Sadbhav Baithak" (Social Harmony Meeting) to strengthen ties between people from different castes and of different religions.
Underlining the role of these meetings, Vaidya said the sessions sought to "neutralise forces working towards dividing Hindu Society" on the basis of caste and languages.

"There will be an elaborate discussion on these meetings which were appreciated by all sections of society. We will also deliberate on how we can further strengthen the role of such meetings and expand them further," he added .