On Vijayadashami 1932, K. B. Hedgewar gave the annual address at the gathering in Nagpur. This page summarises what was reported about it.
The day
- Date: 8 October 1932 — the calendar date of Vijayadashami; our sources do not record the exact day of the gathering
- Place: Nagpur
- Address by: K. B. Hedgewar (the head of the organisation at the time was Dr K. B. Hedgewar)
What the address covered
Seshadri, Palkar and Sinha all report about 1,200 swayamsevaks in full uniform marching at Nagpur in October 1932. Hedgewar had invited Sadgopal and M. S. Golwalkar from the Banaras shakha, introduced them and garlanded them. According to Palkar, his speech said the Sangh aimed to protect Hindu religion, society and culture without hostility to other faiths, and that caste and untouchability had no place in it. He also regretted that Congressmen in Nagpur were cold towards the Sangh. Sinha links the event to a government circular in December 1932 that barred government employees from the RSS.
As reported
Our Dasara festival at Nagpur is the measuring-rod for the people to gauge our strength and vitality.
Context
Golwalkar's first recorded visit to the Nagpur Vijayadashami. Palkar says Hedgewar went through the event with a high fever.
How sure is this?
This account is supported by two or more independent sources, listed below. Most accounts of these early years come from biographies written within the movement.
In the archive
Sources & copyright status
- H. V. Seshadri (ed.), Dr. Hedgewar the Epoch-Maker
- N. H. Palkar, Dr. Hedgewar Jivan Charit (Bengali tr.)
- Rakesh Sinha, Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar (Publications Division)
- Organiser, 'How the RSS was born' (22 Oct 2018)
- N. H. Palkar, Shri Guruji: Vyakti aur Karya (Hindi)
- Historical facts: not subject to copyright. Quotations are short extracts as reported in the sources cited; speeches are summarised in our own words.
- Commentary and translations on this page: original to The Hindu Book. © The Hindu Book, all rights reserved.
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