New Delhi, July 17 (IANS) Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan on Friday released the book “RSS @100: A Century of Service, Unity & Sacrifice”, authored by Shyam Jaju and Anupam Trivedi, praising the organisation’s emphasis on character-building and leadership development through its daily shakhas.
Referring to the chapter “A Swayamsevak as PM: The Modi Era”, the Vice-President said the book traces Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s journey from a Swayamsevak to Pradhan Sevak.
He observed that the Prime Minister has consistently placed seva and the principle of “Rashtra Pratham” (Nation First) at the centre of governance, reflecting the RSS’s enduring emphasis on selfless service and nation-building.
Recalling his conversation with Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Radhakrishnan noted that both had begun their public lives as grassroots functionaries associated with the movement inspired by Jayaprakash Narayan’s ‘Sampoorna Kranti’ (Total Revolution).
Drawing an analogy with the Ganga, which begins as a small stream before becoming a mighty river, he said the RSS too had grown from humble beginnings into one of the world’s largest voluntary organisations.
The event was also attended by 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 Managing Director of Prabhat Prakashan Prabhat Kumar.
Earlier, the Vice-President said the RSS shakha is “a workshop of the soul where the raw energy of youth is chiselled into national character.”
He added that the essence of a Swayamsevak lies in enhancing the dignity of every responsibility entrusted to an individual by performing it with dedication and excellence.
Radhakrishnan said the Sangh’s journey has been one of reviving, reinforcing and rebuilding Bharat’s cultural roots, heritage and traditions.
Referring to the book’s title: Service, Unity & Sacrifice, the Vice-President said these ideals have inspired generations of volunteers.
Service, he noted, reflects selfless commitment to society; unity reinforces the bonds that transcend India’s linguistic and cultural diversity; and sacrifice reminds us that enduring institutions are built through dedication, perseverance and selfless effort.
