RSS is not an Indian version of the Ku Klux Klan, the American white supremacist group, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said here, highlighting the organisation’s work across different spheres of society.
Speaking at an interactive session at the New India Conference organised by the Hudson Institute, Hosabale said there were misconceptions about the RSS similar to misunderstandings about India in the US.
“The narrative that has been built for decades, knowingly or unknowingly as part of an agenda or otherwise, is that RSS is a Hindu supremacist organisation or that it is anti-Christian, anti-minority, anti-development and anti-modernisation,” he said during a discussion with author Walter Russell Mead on Thursday.
“So what is pro is not highlighted; instead, the ‘anti’ has always been propagated — some Indian version of the Ku Klux Klan, which we are not,” Hosabale said.
He said Hindu philosophy and culture view the whole world as one family and do not endorse supremacy.
“We see oneness in everything, living and non-living. When that is the basic philosophy of Hindus, the question of a supremacist nature does not arise. Also, in history, Hindus have never invaded any country,” Hosabale said.
Hosabale said the RSS holds about 83,000 daily meetings, known as shakhas, to instil a sense of service and inculcate life values aimed at promoting social harmony.
“People from every walk of life and all age groups have become volunteers of our organisation. RSS undertakes relief work during natural calamities and is also active in areas such as education, health, self-defence, rural development and environmental issues,” he said.
He said cultural values and modernisation are not necessarily contradictory and can coexist, though some tensions may arise.
“Both modernisation and cultural values require adaptation according to the times. While modernisation brings industrialisation, technology and individualistic trends, it can function alongside culture and cultural values,” Hosabale said.
He added that the coexistence of culture and modernity has been visible in several societies in recent decades.
“Whether it is Hindu society, Indian society, Japan or China, all have modernised while keeping their cultural and civilisational values intact and drawing inspiration from them. That is why I don’t think cultural values and modernisation pull in opposite directions,” he said.
Published on April 24, 2026