Preparing for its centenary year, starting on Vijaydashami next year, the RSS is set to revamp its decades-old training system — called Officers Training Camps (OTC), or Sangh Shiksha Varg — even as discussions are on whether it should replace replace the “dand” (bamboo stick) with a shorter version of it. Although not part of the Sangh uniform, the stick has become an identity of sorts for the Sangh. Sources said a detailed discussion was held in a recent meeting held in Ooty from July 13 to 15, and based on suggestions, a decision will be announced at the Kendriya Karyakari Mandal meeting later this year. At present, first-year and second-year camps are held for 20 days each, and third-year training, held only in Nagpur, goes on for 25 days every year. Sources told The Indian Express that the majority suggestion is to reduce first-year camps to 15 days and hold second- and third-year camps for 20 days. Another suggestion was to hold first-year camps for 15 days and second/third year camps may be reduced further, it is learnt. The first-year camp will now be called Sangh Shiksha Varg, and those for the other years labelled Karyakarta Vikas Shivir. A source said the use of dand, used in these camps as a training tool, was also discussed. The RSS has already introduced as an experiment a smaller version of dand — called Yashti (a Sanskrit word), it is approximately 3 feet long, as against the traditional dand of 5.3 feet. Since the dand is not part of its uniform, when the RSS calls swayamsewaks with dand, it is specially mentioned that they should come “in uniform with dand'', a source explained. No decision has been taken on it yet, sources said. Most RSS camps are held from April to June every year, and some are also held in winter. This year, the camps were held at more than a hundred locations, involving more than 20,000 trainees. The Indian Express spoke with several delegates who have returned from the Ooty meeting of pracharaks. One source said, “Theoretically, we have decided to have major changes in duration of camps and way of training. Some modalities and a new system is yet being discussed. The new system will be announced most probably at the Karyakari Mandal meeting and a decision will be implemented from next year.” A senior pracharak who took part in the Ooty meeting said that “in a nutshell”, besides reducing the duration of these camps, “the physical exercise component of training will be reduced and bauddhik (intellectual training) component will be increased”.
