Representative Image. / X@RSSorg

Ralph Waldo Emerson is often credited with the timeless insight:

“Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to the end requires some of the same courage which a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men to win them.”

History offers abundant examples of such moral courage—when individuals or institutions, faced with storms of doubt and opposition, choose conviction over convenience. India’s independence struggle was one such example. Across its vast social and political landscape, both non-violent and revolutionary movements emerged, led by towering personalities who, though differing in method, shared a common aspiration: to liberate the nation from colonial domination and restore self-rule.

It was amid these turbulent years that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was born. While many contemporaneous organizations looked to Europe—embracing ideologies such as socialism, communism, or the West’s version of secularism—the RSS chose a fundamentally different path. Its mission was neither confined to political expediency nor reactionary rhetoric. Instead, it was rooted in a long-term civilizational vision: to rebuild Bharat as a self-reliant, united, and culturally awakened nation that  would never again succumb to foreign subjugation.

This mission, however, was often misunderstood. The RSS’s approach—organizing Hindus as a means to national rejuvenation—was mischaracterized as sectarian or supremacist. Ideological opponents painted the Sangh as exclusionary, despite the absence of any substantive evidence or actions to justify such claims. Rather than retaliate or seek public validation, the RSS leadership continued its quiet work—building a dedicated base of karyakartas (volunteers), focused on character, service, and discipline, often away from the limelight.

This strategic restraint was both deliberate and, in some ways, a gamble. For a while the organization steadily expanded, one seismic national tragedy would cast a lasting shadow on its name: the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, 1948.

That evening, as Gandhi walked to his prayer ground at Birla House in Delhi, he was fatally shot by Nathuram Godse—a man deeply angered by Gandhi’s post-partition policies, especially his perceived appeasement of Pakistan even after its aggression in Kashmir. The nation was plunged into mourning.

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Upon hearing the news in Madras, RSS Sarsanghchalak M.S. “Guruji” Golwalkar immediately cancelled his tour and returned to Nagpur. In a gesture of deep respect, he sent telegrams of condolence to Prime Minister Nehru, Home Minister Vallabh bhai Patel, and Devdas Gandhi, the Mahatma’s son. For the first time in RSS history, daily shakhas (gatherings) were suspended for thirteen days—a profound gesture reflecting the gravity of the moment.

Mahatma Gandhi visited an RSS camp in Wardha, Maharashtra, in 1934 and was reportedly impressed by the organization’s discipline, absence of untouchability, and austere lifestyle. Later, during the tense communal atmosphere of September 1947, he again addressed a gathering of 500 RSS volunteers at Bhangi Colony. As noted in his Harijan publication (September 28, 1947), titled “Two Members of the R.S.S.,” this meeting reflected a remarkable convergence: while Gandhi remained a staunch advocate of Ahimsa (non-violence), the RSS promoted self-defense without endorsing aggression. Yet, both engaged in dialogue with mutual respect and civility—a testament to their shared concern for national unity despite differing methods.

Yet politics, as history shows, rarely pauses for reflection. Just days after Gandhi’s assassination, the RSS was banned on February 4, 1948, despite no evidence linking the organization to the crime. Guruji Golwalkar was arrested under the colonial-era Bengal State Prisoners Regulation III of 1818, a draconian law enabling indefinite detention without trial—one originally crafted by the East India Company.

Despite the injustice, Guruji issued no calls for protests or defiance. Instead, he urged his followers to remain calm and resolute:

“The cloud of suspicion will clear, and we will emerge unblemished. Until then, we must endure hardships with resilience. I firmly believe that Sangh swayamsevaks will successfully overcome this test.”

Over 17,000 RSS volunteers were arrested, yet not a single chargesheet was filed. The RSS headquarters in Nagpur, Dr. Hedgewar Bhavan, was seized. But when truth could no longer be suppressed, the ban was lifted on July 12, 1949, and five days later, the headquarters was restored. On July 18, swayamsevaks reconvened at Mohite Ground—the very place where the RSS was founded in 1925.

There were no cries of vengeance, no triumphalist celebrations. In his address, Guruji kept the message simple and focused:

“Our work resumes today. Just as a person wakes up feeling refreshed and energized, we too must restart our efforts with the same enthusiasm.”

The 1950s saw the RSS gradually regain momentum. Sangh-inspired organizations sprouted across diverse sectors: Jan Sangh in politics, Vidya Bharati in education, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh in labor, and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram for tribal welfare. The once-suspected organization was now reemerging as a vibrant force in national life.

At the heart of the storm stood Nathuram Godse’s long-discontinued association with the RSS, having disenchanted and hence dissociated from the organization in the early 1930s. Yet the shadow of guilt by association proved long and persistent—a weapon wielded against the Sangh for decades.

In 1966, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s government initiated a formal investigation into the assassination through the J.L. Kapur Commission. After three years, testimony from 101 witnesses, and meticulous document reviews, the commission’s 1969 report unequivocally cleared the RSS of any involvement. Former Home Secretary R.N. Banerjee supported this conclusion in his own deposition.

Through years of scrutiny, bans, and slander, the RSS remained resolute. Its volunteers—animated by a vision of cultural and national awakening—weathered the trials with quiet perseverance. And in doing so, they embodied the very spirit Emerson described: Mapping the course of action by brave men to make peace victorious.