A new RSS song at its Dussehra event invokes its ‘0 to 100’ rise, Ram temple

Kulkarni sang solo before sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat rose to deliver his address, with the lyrics reflecting the journey of the RSS, which is set to mark 100 years on Vijaya Dashmi in 2025 (It was founded on that day in Nagpur in 1925).

Three types of songs are sung at RSS congregations. The first is their prarthana (prayer), which is sung at the end of members-only programmes, or in the beginning if the programme includes the public. The second type is gana geet (choral song, sung in groups), in which one swayamsevak sings a line, and other swayamsevaks repeat it in chorus. The third is ekal geet (solo song), which is sung solo by a swayamsevak. The prarthana is in Sanskrit, while the other two kinds are mostly in Hindi, and sometimes in other regional languages.

Solo songs of the RSS mostly eulogise the love and commitment of its members to the motherland, and narrate “the innate goodness” of India, its people, its culture, its history, etc. Gana geets mostly reflect the importance of unity and being organised. A new gana geet is released every year, to be sung at RSS training camps across the country through the rest of the year. State units are asked to write other songs in their regional languages.

Sources said the latest ekal geet is dedicated to the centenary year of the organisation. It has four stanzas, three of which were written by the baudhik pramukh (intellectual leader) of a district in Western UP, “I wrote this song in June. It was finalised after some corrections suggested by the Sangh,” he said, insisting on remaining anonymous, adding he has written several songs for the RSS in the past.

The singer, Kulkarni, works with the RSS-affiliated Sanskar Bharti, which works among artistes.

A swayamsevak who was involved in the composition told The Indian Express on Thursday, “When it was sung before sarsanghchalak Bhagwat, he felt it was incomplete. So, on his advice, a fourth stanza was added.” Sources said the fourth stanza was written by a Nagpur-based swayamsevak.

The song starts like this: “Shoonya se eik shatak bante, ank ki manbhavna, Bharati ki jai vijay ho, le hriday me prerna (The dream of going from zero to a hundred, carrying the motivation in one’s heart, that motherland will be victorious).” It goes on to invoke Lord Ram: “Daiva ne bhi Ram prabhu hit lakshya tha aisa vichara, kantakon ke marg chalkar Ram ne Ravan sanhara (God had given Lord Ram a goal, He walked over thorns to kill Ravan).”

Its second stanza mentions the hard work and sacrifice of RSS founder K B Hedgewar, without naming him. The fourth stanza praises India’s culture, climate and the resolve to uplift its most marginalised.

The third stanza that was later inserted, goes: “Vijigisha ka bhav lekar, desh mein swatantrata aaya, bane samras rashtra, Bharat bodh yah dayitva laya, chhal kapat aur bhed se tha rashtra jan ko taarna (Independence was won with a victorious mood, bringing the responsibility of establishing harmony, and freeing the country from chicanery and biases).”

Sources said the new song was being rehearsed before RSS pracharaks over the last few months, and was presented at the Vijaya Dashmi function only after all the suggestions were incorporated.