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This is an archive article published on August 23, 2022

In run-up to centenary year, RSS gears up to ramp up rural footprint in country

Interestingly, when the organisation will be running the programme, its political outfit, the BJP, will be looking for a third consecutive term at the Centre during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Sources in the RSS said that each 'shatabdi vistarak' will be assigned at least one rural block covering in an average 100 villages. (Express/File)Sources in the RSS said that each 'shatabdi vistarak' will be assigned at least one rural block covering in an average 100 villages. (Express/File)

With a view to increasing its footprint in rural areas in the run-up to its centenary year in 2025, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has decided to depute ‘shatabdi vistaraks’ at block level across the country.

Interestingly, when the organisation will be running the programme, its political outfit, the BJP, will be looking for a third consecutive term at the Centre during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Sources in the RSS said that each ‘shatabdi vistarak’ will be assigned at least one rural block covering in an average 100 villages. Their training has already begun after a decision was taken at the top level of the organisation a few weeks earlier.

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“By Vijayadashmi festival this year, ‘shatabdi vistaraks’ would be assigned their blocks which could be near their own native villages. In these blocks, they will focus on the organisation’s expansion till Vijayadashmi in 2025. They will start work on the ground by March 2023,” said an RSS functionary based in Uttar Pradesh.
A meeting of the RSS functionaries of ‘Purvi UP Kshetra’ (eastern UP) on the preparations of the ‘shatabdi vistarak’ programme will be held in Lucknow on August 27 and 28. The outfit’s ‘Purvi UP Kshetra’ comprises four regions — Awadh, Gorakhpur. Kashi and Kanpur.

The functionary said that RSS has decided to not organise any grand celebrations on completion of its 100 years. It instead will utilise its resources for organising activities with a focus on organisational expansion, he added.

“If there are some functions at certain places, only people associated with the RSS will attend the celebrations. It is better that we reach out to people in areas which were left untouched so far,” said that functionary.

“In the next two years, the shatabdi vistaraks will spend at least 5-6 hours a day in the assigned villages and organise programmes on patriotism, discussions on social and national issues besides the RSS ideology,” he further said.

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For running these activities, they will take help of local RSS workers or create a team of volunteers where the outfit does not have any worker.

Also, the RSS will also run a programme called “supt shakti jagaran” in which the workers who become dormant over the period of time will be activated and engage them in organisational works.

Lalmani is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, and is based in New Delhi. He covers politics of the Hindi Heartland, tracking BJP, Samajwadi Party, BSP, RLD and other parties based in UP, Bihar and Uttarakhand. Covered the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, 2019 and 2024; Assembly polls of 2012, 2017 and 2022 in UP along with government affairs in UP and Uttarakhand. ... Read More

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