Uttarakhand Assembly Becomes First to Officially Honour RSS on Its Centenary

Dehradun, Nov 2025 : Applause filled the corridors of the Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha on Tuesday as the hill state marked a historic moment during its silver jubilee special session. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami delivered a landmark address that formally acknowledged the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) 100 years of service to the nation—making Uttarakhand the first constitutional body in India to record such recognition.

Standing beneath the portrait of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the leader credited with creating Uttarakhand out of Uttar Pradesh twenty-five years ago, Dhami said, “Through its hundred years of asceticism, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has released a divine stream of cultural renaissance, social harmony, self-respect, and patriotic service.” He added that the organisation had “ignited the eternal flame of national consciousness in every corner of the country.”

The Assembly responded with loud desk-thumping as Dhami described India’s transformation—from a nation burdened by a colonial mindset to one now rooted in cultural confidence, scientific temper, and civilisational pride. “This restored self-respect is the fruit of the Sangh’s century-long dedication,” he said, asserting that the RSS played a significant role in dispelling feelings of inferiority imposed during foreign rule.

Reflecting on Uttarakhand’s own journey, the Chief Minister noted that the state had endured challenges over the past twenty-five years but continued to progress with unwavering determination. “With your blessings, Uttarakhand will soon become the best state in India,” he declared, drawing enthusiastic cheers from the ruling benches.

As the clock neared four in the afternoon, Dhami shifted to a more lyrical tone. He recited lines from a song commonly sung at RSS shakhas: “Yeh uthal-puthal uchhal lehar, path se na digane paayegi; patwaar chalaate jaayenge, manzil aayegi, aayegi…” (“This turmoil and rising tide will not shake us from our path; we will keep rowing the boat, and the destination will arrive.”)

Uncharacteristically, the opposition remained silent throughout the recitation, allowing the atmosphere to settle into a moment of solemnity and symbolism.

Speaker Ritu Khanduri Bhushan then moved the resolution for a voice vote. The resounding “Aye” that followed ensured its unanimous passage, inscribing the tribute to the RSS into Uttarakhand’s official legislative record.

Outside the Assembly, schoolchildren waved tricolours as veterans of the 1994 statehood movement grew emotional. Inside, a century of the RSS’s quiet organisational work received its most emphatic constitutional acknowledgement to date.