NEW DELHI: Vice-President CP Radhakrishnan on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently placed seva and the principle of "Rashtra Pratham" (Nation First) at the centre of governance, reflecting the RSS's emphasis on selfless service and nation-building.
Vice President's remarks came at an event after releasing the book RSS @100: A Century of Service, Unity & Sacrifice, authored by Shyam Jaju and Anupam Trivedi, at Uprashtrapati Bhavan.
Referring to the chapter "A Swayamsevak as PM: The Modi Era", Radhakrishnan said the book traces Modi's journey from a Swayamsevak to Pradhan Sevak.
Recalling his conversation with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, the Vice-President said both had begun their public lives as grassroots workers associated with the movement inspired by Jayaprakash Narayan's Total Revolution. Comparing the RSS with the Ganga, he said the organisation had grown from humble beginnings into one of the world's largest voluntary organisations.
Addressing the gathering, Radhakrishnan said it was a personal honour to release a book marking the centenary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), an organisation with which he has had a long association. Referring to a Tamil poem on the RSS, he said it compares the organisation to the Ganga, symbolising the spirit of selfless service.
He said the book captures the RSS's role in reviving and strengthening India's cultural roots, heritage and traditions.
Referring to the book's title, Service, Unity & Sacrifice, he said these ideals have inspired generations of volunteers. He also highlighted the RSS's focus on character-building and leadership development through its daily shakhas.
Quoting from the book, he described the shakha as “a workshop of the soul where the raw energy of youth is chiselled into national character.”
The Vice-President said the RSS has promoted cultural continuity and national consciousness by encouraging pride in India's civilisational heritage, traditions, languages and spiritual thought. He added that the centenary was an opportunity to acknowledge the dedication of lakhs of volunteers.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts president Ram Bahadur Rai, RSS Kshetra Sanghchalak Pawan Jindal, co-authors Shyam Jaju and Anupam Trivedi, and Prabhat Prakashan Managing Director Prabhat Kumar were among those present at the event.