“Sangh parivar” in the ordinary political jargon, found in the media and heard on the political platform, means a conglomeration of RSS , VHP, BJP, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, Swadeshi Jagaran Munch, Bajrang Dal and other such organizations which the so called “secularists” consider to “communal”. The unscrupulous politicians and senseless media who always condemn the RSS and all the above mentioned organizations which are the offshoots of the former can never understand the true meaning of the word “parivar”. To a Swayamsevak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the word parivar kindles of feeling of fraternal bond towards fellow Swayamsevaks, whether they are involved in the activities of them, and filial affection to the younger generations in the Sangh family. Unlike other political, social and cultural organizations, RSS, right form its inception, has been conceived only as a joint family of all Hindu brethren. The founder of the RSS, Paramapoojaneeya Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, discovered the truth that the only way in which lasting unity could be created provinces of the vast country and having multifarious religious faiths and cultural and traditional diversities, is to bring them all under the spell of an intimate brotherhood by inculcating the feeling of intense love and adoration of the Motherland as the Supreme Mother of all. The functioning of the RSS is not like other organizations, which meet periodically, pass resolutions, send petitions, make press statements and organize demonstration and show of strength. The Swayamsevaks of the Sangh meet silently in small group’s everyday in every locality of the town or village in every province of the country, and now even outside the country, play, sing and pray together every day to the deity of their adoration, the Motherland Sri Bharatamata, and build the bond of mutual love and affection and extend help and cooperation to each other as in a family. This bondage is not confined to the Sanghasthan only. It extends and expands outside the Sangh Shaka and the families of the Swayamsevaks come together like members of a bigger clan. The leaders of the RSS-the Pracharaks, Sanghchalaks, Karyavahaks, Mukhyashikshaks, etc. function like the elders in family, sharing the joys and sorrows of the members and always extending help and care to the needy. Therefore naturally, the Swayamsevaks look upon the seniors in the Sangh Parivar as elders of their own families.

 

The founder of the Sangh, Paramapoojaneeya Dr. Hedgewar, envisaged that Parivar should expand to such an extent that the entire Hindu society is brought into the bond of brotherhood and ultimately the Sangh would merge in the society. In other words, every Hindu family would feel that it is a part and parcel of this big family. In his lifetime, he could see that Mother Bharat’s children from different provinces congregated as on family under the ochre flag. He lived only for fifteen years since the funding of the Sangh. However, under the Patriarch-ship of the second Sarsanghchalak, Paramapoojaneeya Sri Guruji Golwalkar, in his thirty three years of reign as the head of the family, the Sangh grew in leaps and bounds form Kanyakumari to Kashmir and from Dwaraka to Kamakhya, and even spread its wings to distant lands where Hindus are settled.

 

The patriarch of a family knows all his brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, nephews, nieces, grandsons and granddaughters personally and always keeps an intimate contact with each and every one of them. They in turn cultivate a deep love, affection and reverence towards him. True to this tradition, Sri Guruji, was so close and accessible to each and every Swayamsevak in the country. He shared their happiness, lauded them in their moments of success and achievements, extended sympathy and help in their moments of agony and pain and gave them counseling, hope and solace in their struggles and sufferings. As a humble Swayamsevak right from the age of eight or nine, this writer had his own quota of soul-stirring experiences with this great and saintly godfather of the Sangh Parivar. A few specimens he would share with our readers here.