NEW DELHI: As the BJP continued to increase its presence in the country in the last four years, the rise was complemented by the growth of its ideological mentor, the RSS. The RSS shakhas — where Sangh swyamsevaks (volunteers) gather on a daily basis — have registered a substantial growth since the BJP came to power at the Centre in 2014.
Currently, the RSS has extended its presence to 95 per cent of India’s territory and has over 59,000 shakhas across the country.
The shakhas generally carry out most of the organisational work of the Sangh and hold public meetings for at least one hour.
In 2014, when the BJP came to power, there were about 44,982 shakhas at 29,624 places in the country. However, their numbers swelled with the increasing footprint of the saffron party. Between 2014 and 2015, the number of shakhas rose to 51,332, conducted at 33,223 places.
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The daily shakha is the most visible symbol of the RSS. After the BJP’s defeat in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, there had been a fall in the number of shakhas. However, the trend altered after Narendra Modi led the saffron party to a resounding victory in the 2014 polls.
The numbers kept rising in the subsequent years, with 2016 and 2017 seeing 56,569 and 57,233 shakhas, respectively.
According to an RSS ideologue who did not wish to be named, thousands of youth, both from rural and urban areas, started joining the Sangh.
Even professionals like engineers and doctors came forward to attach themselves with the Sangh ideology. Many of them may not be attending the shakhas daily, but they participate in the Sangh programmes. “Overall, there has been an increase in youth participation in the Sangh activities in all spheres of work, especially in voluntary participation,” said the RSS ideologue.
Moreover, the RSS also expanded its footprints in regions like the Northeast, West Bengal and Kerala.
In Tripura alone, the number of shakhas has increased three-fold in the last th ree years — from 80 in 2015 to more than 250 shakhas now.