Deepstambh: RSS Centenary Reflected in a Single Volume

New Delhi’s New Maharashtra Sadan wore a celebratory look this week as Hindi Vivek unveiled its ambitious commemorative book Deepstambh, a tribute to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s hundred-year journey. Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, the chief guest, used the occasion to deliver a pointed reminder: history never pauses, but nations must draw strength from their civilisational roots if they wish to endure.

Gadkari praised the RSS for what he called its “remarkable, nation-building contribution across diverse spheres,” citing its affiliates from the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram. “The words Hindu and Hindutva have been deliberately misrepresented,” he said. “The Sangh has stood firm as the custodian of both.” The Deepstambh volume, he added, gathers precisely the kind of ideas that inspire ordinary citizens and will “guide coming generations.”

The Minister also nudged Hindi Vivek to widen its reach beyond Marathi and Hindi. “If you cannot convince, confusion follows,” he warned, urging the magazine to counter misinformation by carrying its “nectar of ideas” into every regional language.

A Century of the Sangh

Speakers traced the RSS’s arc from K.B. Hedgewar’s founding vision to today’s sprawling network. Mukul Kanitkar, a senior functionary, recalled Hedgewar’s belief that “character-building of individuals is the path to nation-building,” a principle he said remains relevant a century later. From disaster relief to village-level mobilisation, Kanitkar argued, the Sangh’s quiet discipline has shaped a cadre ready to serve in every crisis.

Padma Shri awardee Ramesh Patange framed the Sangh’s work in civilisational terms: “Dharma is India’s soul. Protecting dharma is protecting the nation.” The book, he said, chronicles this spiritual-national mission across 100 years—its expansions, challenges and achievements.

A Platform and Its Builders

Hindi Vivek’s CEO Amol Pednekar used the launch to recount the magazine’s 17-year journey in national journalism and to underline the editorial effort behind Deepstambh. Executive editor Pallavi Anvekar anchored the evening, which drew writers, journalists and community leaders from Delhi, Noida and beyond.

The dais also featured industry veteran Vinod Agarwal, cardiac surgeon Dr. Anil Agarwal, and several awardees honoured by Gadkari for their social service. Each guest received a warm welcome before collectively releasing the volume that aims to serve—as Gadkari put it—as a “guiding light” for the future.

In the end, the launch of Deepstambh felt less like a routine book release and more like a statement of continuity: a century-old organisation asserting that its ideas, and the debates they spark, remain very much part of India’s present and future.