Rashtra Sevika Samiti, an all-women organisation inspired by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS) recently held its national executive meeting at Guwahati (Assam) from February 22 to 24 where it took stock of the current organisational position and discussed the way forward.
Those who often accuse the RSS of patriarchy need to take a closer look at the organisation, functioning and history of Rashtra Sevika Samiti as that dispels several myths about the RSS’ approach towards women emancipation.
The Samiti was founded in 1936 at Nagpur by Lakshmi Bai Kelkar who is popularly known as ‘Mausi ji’ in Sangh circles. While in the RSS, the Chief mentor is designated as ‘Sarsanghchalak’ which many consider to be the head of the organisation. In Samiti, the Chief Mentor is designated as ‘Pramukh Sanchalika’. This responsibility is currently held by V. Shanta Kumari.
While the Sangh volunteers are called ‘Swayamsevaks’, the volunteers of Samiti are known as ‘Sevikas’
Samiti’s current organisational expanse is impressive. Samiti has divided the country 12 kshetra(regions), 38 Prant (provinces) and 1042 Zila(districts) according to its organisational plans.
According to the latest data placed in the Guwahati meeting, the organisation’s volunteers are actively working in 834 districts. There are 4125 ‘Shakhas’ (branches) of Sevika Samiti that are fully covering all 12 regions and 38 provinces on its organisational map. In addition to its routine functioning, the Samiti volunteers are also running 1800 social service projects across the country.
While the Samiti works autonomously, it also works in tandem with Sangh as they have an ideological synergy. This was reflected at the recent meet at Guwahati when the Pramukh Sanchalika V. Shanta Kumari categorically said in her address , “To make our nation glorious, the subjects of Panch Parivartan (self-realization, family enlightenment, social harmony, environment and civic duty) will have to be brought to the society by bringing them into personal life and conduct.”
It may be recalled that the Sarsanghchalak (Chief Mentor) of the RSS, Mohan Bhagwat, had given a call a couple of years ago for ‘Panch Parivartan’ to the RSS cadres. The program includes five key points for social transformation namely samajik samarasata (social harmony), kutumb Prabodhan(family values) , paryavaran (environmental awareness), the insistence on ‘Swa’ (selfhood) and the duties of the citizens.
Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha(ABPS), the highest decision making body of the RSS had also discussed this programme at length in its annual meeting in March 2024. The programme is the centrepiece for all the initiatives that RSS is gearing up to take as it is set to complete its 100 years on Vijayadashami this year.
Origin and Ideology of Samiti
Laksmi Bai Kelkar, was an educationist. She had met the RSS founder Dr Hedgewar and was impressed by the way RSS was working towards uniting the Hindus and contributing towards nation building and social transformation. She wanted women also to be part of this whole process. Dr Hedgewar encouraged her to go ahead and start an organisation. Thus on the Vijaydashami of 1936, Kelkar laid the foundation of Rashtra Sevika Samiti.
Samiti volunteers participated actively in the freedom movement before independence. During the partition, it played an important role in rescuing Hindu and Sikh men and women and bringing them safely back to India. Later they also helped with the relief and rehabilitation efforts along with Sangh volunteers. In 1948, several volunteers of Samiti went to jail as they protested the ban imposed on the RSS.
In the freedom struggle for Goa in the 1950s also, the Samiti volunteers participated actively. During the 1962, 1965 and 1971 wars, Samiti actively supported the government’s war efforts. During 1975-77 Sevikas actively participated in the anti-Emergency movement. Along with various other RSS inspired organisations, Samiti played a key role in the Ramjanmabhoomi movement also. Currently, one of its major focus is on providing health, education and other services in north-east India
At present over 10,000 women attend the training camps held by Samiti every year. The first training camp was held in 1939. In 2016, During the Samiti’s 80th year celebrations, it organised one of the largest training camps in its history that was attended by 3,000 sevikas.
There are three key pillars of Samiti’s ideological and functional framework: Matrutva (Universal Motherhood), Kartrutva (