New Delhi: As the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) celebrates its centenary, the organisation has chosen to mark the milestone with more reflection and reform, continuing its tradition of adapting to the changing and evolving aspirations of society. The call for Panchaparivartam (five transformations) signals an important evolution in India’s largest socio-cultural movement, reflecting an organization that has not only endured and developed but also adapted while remaining rooted in Bhartiya heritage and civilization, embracing the spirit of change demanded by a diverse, democratic society.
A CENTURY OF WORK AND SELF-REFORM
Few voluntary organisations anywhere in the world have sustained the continuity, scale, and effect that the Sangh has achieved. From a handful of shakhas in Nagpur in the 1920s, it now operates across the length and breadth of Bharat, affecting change in education through community service during disaster relief, promoting social harmony and civic discipline. This growth has stemmed from the ethos of self-reliance, collective responsibility, and discipline that the Sangh has cultivated among ordinary citizens.
The Sangh’s willingness to name these issues and embed them within its moral vocabulary demonstrates maturity and foresight.
UNDERSTANDING PANCHAPARIVARTAM
The Panchaparivartam framework proposes five intertwined and overlapping domains of change. Firstly, Swa-bodh (Self-awareness) seeks to promote cultural confidence and self-realization. Secondly, the concept of Samajik Samrasta (Social Harmony) aims to promote equality and fraternity across caste, class, gender, and community lines. The third is the Kutumb Prabodhan (Family Awakening), which aims to restore the idea of the family as a unit of trust, care, and values, rather than valuing isolationist individualism. Fourthly, the Nagrik Kartvya (Civic Duties) entails nurturing public discipline and responsibility. And finally, the concept of Paryavaran (Environment) aims to promote ecological balance and sustainable living, rooted in traditional Indian principles of the panchbhootas.
This vision seeks transformation from within, only to be expanded outwards after one achieves internal change. Self-awareness leads to social harmony, which in turn leads to a harmonious society that can sustain families and address the ethical dilemmas of civic virtue. The framework’s strength lies in its holistic nature, where it prioritizes social and ecological wellbeing as separate yet parallel spheres, rather than focusing on individual benefits.
At the heart of Panchaparivartam is the Sangh’s conviction that Bharat’s strength lies in the continuity of its civilization. The concept of Dharma, not religion in the narrow sense, but rather a code of practising Dharma. For the Sangh, the revival of Swa-bodh is not about asserting dominance but about restoring equilibrium: that would eventually enable Indians to celebrate India’s civilizational achievements without having to diminish its pluralism. For instance, the Sangh’s interpretation of “Hindu” has also widened over time. It increasingly speaks of Hindutva as a cultural, not theological, identity, which is inclusive of all who accept the land of Bharat as their own.
In its service projects and outreach in tribal, Dalit, and remote regions, one finds an acknowledgment that the strength of the nation lies in unity amidst diversity. This evolution underscores why the Sangh remains relevant: it bridges heritage with modernity and tradition with reform.
CRITICISM AS CATALYST, NOT CONSTRAINT
The Sangh’s promotion of Samajik Samrasta is a great example. Early critics accused it of ignoring caste inequities. However, today such criticism is no longer valid, as the Sangh has head-on worked to address remnants of caste-based biases. Senior functionaries routinely underline that discrimination on birth is antithetical to both nationalism and Dharma. For instance, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s quote aptly captures this sentiment when he said that there should be “one temple, one well, and one crematorium” for Hindus, underscoring the need to eliminate caste-based discrimination in daily life.
In practice, the Sangh encourages people to sit, eat, and work together across its wide-ranging programs. This substantive shift underscores the Sangh’s capacity to adapt without losing its moral compass.
Similarly, the emphasis on Paryavaran Sanrakshan marks the Sangh’s recognition that ecological care is now central to national duty. It ties modern sustainability discourse to ancient Indian respect for nature, where rivers, trees, and animals are viewed as living embodiments of the divine, not as elements for exploitation. Thousands of Swayamsevaks now participate in tree-plantation drives, water conservation initiatives, and solar projects. Such synthesis of tradition and technology illustrates the Sangh’s pragmatism: change must be driven and gradual, not imposed and uprooted.
INCLUSIVE ETHOS
The emphasis on Kutumb Prabodhan (family awakening) is another timely reminder. In an era of rapid urbanization and social media polarization, one encounters mental stress and social alienation. Given the fundamental role of the family as the first school of ethics and empathy, it must be viewed as the first line of defence in preventing such alienation.
The Sangh’s appeal to restore communication, respect, and inter-generational connection within families is not nostalgic conservatism but realism rooted in social realities. Perhaps the most modern of the five transformations is Nagrik Kartvya (civic duties). It represents a shift from rights to responsibilities, from government-centric expectations to citizen-led action.
Whether it is cleanliness, punctuality, discipline, or respect for the law, all are treated as cultural values rather than bureaucratic duties. Here, the Sangh’s influence, often branded as parochial, is in fact complementing national missions like Swachh Bharat, Amrit Kal, and Viksit Bharat 2047, all of which are rooted in bringing about behavioral and mindset changes, going beyond mere infrastructure development. The Sangh’s emphasis on civic culture is a reminder that a nation’s moral fabric cannot be legislated from above. But instead, it must grow from within communities. In this sense, civic ethics are treated and propagated as a matter of habit, rather than a directive-based top-down approach.
WHY PANCHAPARIVARTAM MATTERS
The true significance of Panchaparivartam lies in how it blends continuity with change. It draws moral energy from Hindu civilizational wisdom while also addressing the aspirations of 21st-century challenges and realities. It respects diversity without surrendering to fragmentation. It preaches reform without denying tradition. And therefore, such balancing enables a persuasive power to its agenda that resonates internally within the public rather than a forced proposition.
The Sangh’s success has always rested on its ability to translate abstract ideals into community action. And Panchaparivartam can become a people’s movement precisely because it is practical, as it calls for self-discipline, empathy, and environmental care, all of which are values that transcend region, religion, and class. Such inclusivity is the real reason for the Sangh’s longevity.
Another reason the Sangh remains relevant a hundred years on is that it listens and learns from both criticism and cooperation, from its successes and its missteps. It does not see itself as a monolith but as a network of dialogues between tradition and modernity, spirituality and science, individual and the collective. Such openness to reinterpretation has allowed it to renew itself while remaining unmistakably Indian in spirit.
Therefore, as it steps into its second century, the Sangh’s challenge will be to deepen inclusivity without diluting identity, to preserve moral clarity without turning rigid. If it can continue to balance rootedness with responsiveness, Panchaparivartam will not merely be an internal reform agenda but become a national renaissance project.
SYNERGIZING IDEALISM WITH REALISM
The story of the Sangh is, ultimately, the story of Bharat’s search for self-renewal. Through Panchaparivartam, the organisation invites every citizen to participate in this renewal, regardless of their faith or ideology, indicating true synergy between idealism and realism. It is a call to rebuild the moral, social, and ecological foundations of our nation through collective effort. The Sangh has demonstrated that true reform arises not from rejecting the past, but from rediscovering its living essence today. By uniting Hindu heritage with modern inclusivity and accepting critique as a pathway to improvement, it demonstrates that continuity and change need not be opposites. Instead, working together, it should form the blueprint for Bharat’s next century.
Prof. Santishree Dhulipudi Pandit is the Vice chancellor of JNU.
