The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will take stock of organisational issues and concerns of national relevance in a key meeting scheduled to be held in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, between September 5-7, people aware of the details said.
According to RSS functionaries, the three-day All India Coordination Meeting or the Akhil Bharatiya Samanvay Baithak will be attended by the RSS brass, including Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat and general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale among other office bearers.
The development comes days after the RSS, the ideological fount of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), announced that former President Ram Nath Kovind will be the chief guest at the organisation’s annual Vijayadashami event at its headquarters in Nagpur, Maharashtra. The event, scheduled to take place on October 2, also marks the RSS’s centenary.
The annual meeting in September, which is attended by the national presidents, organisational secretaries, and prominent office bearers of over 30 RSS offshoots that work in sectors such as trade unions, farmer’s collectives, welfare of tribal communities, MSME and education, takes stock of the year long activities of various organisations along side discussions on issues of ideological relevance.
Functionaries aware of the details said that the meeting will see discussions on issues of national concern and security such as Operation Sindoor, India’s military offensive against terror operatives in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives.
The Sangh, which advocates for a muscular foreign policy in addition to trade deals that protect sectors such as dairying, farming, small and medium industry, is also expected to weigh in on the ongoing trade negotiations between India and the United States, and the strain in ties following US President Donald Trump’ s decision to impose high tariffs.
Over the years, the organisation has conveyed to the government the need to bolster indigenous production and cut down imports of oils and other edibles. “Indigenisation in the defence sector has vindicated our stand that we need to be self reliant. Our system held us in good stead during Operation Sindoor…” an RSS functionary said on anonymity
Post Operation Sindoor, the Union government said the success of the military action exhibited India’s prowess in “drone warfare, layered air defence, and electronic warfare”. India’s air defence was also credited for thwarting Pakistan’s attempts to target military installations in Jammu & Kashmir and Punjab.
The functionary quoted above said that there is a “strong sentiment among various offshoots” to review all existing trade agreements to draw up watertight trade deals to ensure Indian interests are protected.
The Sangh was instrumental in pushing the Centre to not sign the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement in 2019. The organisation’s offshoot, Swadeshi Jagran Manch, led a campaign against the RCEP –– a proposed free trade agreement between ten member states of Asean (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and its six FTA partners (China, India, Japan, Korea, Australia and New Zealand).
Discussions on organisational issues will also cover domestic politics and policies ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, beginning with Bihar later this year and in a clutch of states such as West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in 2026. The Sangh has been vocal about the need to push for a national register of citizens to identify illegal immigrants, citing “national security and changes to demography” in states along the border.
RSS chief spokesperson Sunil Ambekar said that all organisations will present an assessment of the situation on the ground based on their experiences in their respective fields of work. “On subjects important from the perspective of national unity, security, and social viewpoint, there is extensive discussion in the meeting, and steps are initiated to establish mutual coordination in actionable matters. A collective analytical review of recent important events will also be done,” Ambekar said in a statement. “ At the meeting, heads of various offshoots will also discuss their achievements and upcoming plans. Discussions are also expected on the participation of all organisations in the centenary programs of the Sangh.”