Volunteers for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, or R.S.S., listened to a speech at a celebration of the group’s centenary in Nagpur, India, in October.Credit...
In Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s most important speech of the year, his annual Independence Day address in August, he used the stage to honor the group that changed his life and is remaking India.
That it was Mr. Modi’s most forceful and public nod in his 11 years in office to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh — the far-right Hindu nationalist group known as the R.S.S., which had molded his personal and professional life since he was a young boy — was a reflection of what a king-making power the group has become as it celebrated its 100th anniversary this year.
The R.S.S. originated as a shadowy cabal for the revival of Hindu pride after a long history of Muslim invasions and colonial rule in India, its early leaders openly drawing inspiration from the nationalist formula of Fascist parties in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s. It has survived repeated bans, including being accused in the assassination of Gandhi, to grow into the largest right-wing juggernaut in the world.
More than a decade of Mr. Modi, one of their most ambitious and capable recruits, at the helm of national power has brought the organization the kind of success and acceptability that many of its leaders say they never dared imagine. While there have at times been tensions with the strongman premier, the R.S.S. is closing in on its dream to rebuild India’s secular republic as a muscular, Hindu-first nation.
The R.S.S. has infiltrated and co-opted India’s institutions to such a degree that its deep roots will ensure it remains a powerful force long after Mr. Modi is gone. It reaches inside India’s society, government, courts, police, media and academic institutions through a vast umbrella of affiliated groups, placing core members into all of them. It makes and breaks political careers. It commands loyalty across the nation by offering young men a path to relevance and influence in their communities through Hindu-nationalist activism.
Though the R.S.S. still cultivates an air as a secret society, it has been proudly more public in recent years. Its members and its influence are everywhere.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.