K.B. Hedgewar

K.B. Hedgewar (born April 1, 1889, Nagpur [now in Maharashtra], India—died June 21, 1940, Nagpur) was an Indian physician, nationalist, and social organizer who founded the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS; Hindi: “National Volunteer Organization”) in 1925 in Nagpur, Central Provinces and Berar (Nagpur is now in Maharashtra, India). At a time when India was under British colonial rule, Hedgewar envisioned the RSS as a volunteer-based body aimed at fostering cultural pride, discipline, and unity among Hindus. Serving as the organization’s first sarsanghchalak (Sanskrit: “chief leader of the organization”) from 1925 until his death in 1940, he created the framework for an organization that played a key role in shaping Hindu nationalist thought.

Early life

Keshav Baliram Hedgewar was born into a Brahmin family in Nagpur, where he received his early education. Orphaned at age 13 during a bubonic plague outbreak, he came under the guidance of B.S. Moonje, a member of the Hindu Mahasabha (a Hindu nationalist political organization). In 1910 Hedgewar moved to Calcutta (now Kolkata) to study medicine and received a Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery (LMS) degree in 1916. After about a year of medical practice in Calcutta, he returned to Nagpur, where he shifted his focus from medicine to social and political work.

Ideological influences and early political activism

Hedgewar was influenced by nationalist leaders such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, whose use of Hindu religious symbolism and organization of Ganesh and Shivaji festivals in the 1890s helped mobilize popular participation in the Indian Independence Movement. During his time in Calcutta, he came into contact with and was influenced by the Anushilan Samiti, a revolutionary secret society that advocated armed struggle against the British raj. After returning to Nagpur, Hedgewar became associated with both the Indian National Congress (Congress Party) and the Hindu Mahasabha. He participated in Congress Party sessions and was associated with the Hindustani Seva Dal (“Indian Service Corps”; now Seva Dal), the Congress Party’s volunteer organization. He is believed to have participated in the noncooperation movement (1920–22), a mass protest against the British raj supported by the Congress Party. In 1921 Hedgewar was arrested by British authorities for allegedly delivering seditious speeches.

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Hedgewar gradually became critical of the Congress Party and Mahatma Gandhi and reportedly distanced himself from the broader independence movement, a stance that he continued after establishing the RSS. He thought that the Congress Party was not doing enough to unify Indian society, and his differences deepened during the Khilafat movement (1919–24). The movement sought to persuade the British government to safeguard the position of the Ottoman caliphate, and Gandhi supported it as a means of fostering Hindu-Muslim unity in India. Hedgewar believed this movement prioritized religious identity over political self-determination. This period also saw Hindu-Muslim riots in different parts of the country, which, in his view, underscored the failure of the Congress Party’s strategy to strengthen religious unity through the Khilafat cause.

During this period, Hedgewar is believed to have read Essentials of Hindutva (1923; retitled Hindutva: Who Is a Hindu? in 1928) by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, an Indian nationalist and a member of the Hindu Mahasabha. Savarkar used the concept of Hindutva (“Hindu-ness”) to define Hindu identity in cultural and territorial terms, rooted in shared ancestry and civilization ties to the Indian subcontinent. In contemporary usage the concept is often associated with Hindu nationalist ideology and has drawn criticism for its links to sectarian politics. Inspired by Savarkar’s definition of Hindutva, Hedgewar concluded that Hindu society, which he saw as divided, needed to cultivate a sense of discipline, pride, and unity.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

On September 27, 1925, during the Hindu festival of Dussehra, Hedgewar established the RSS, a volunteer-based cultural organization that aimed to instill cultural pride and unity among Hindus, in Nagpur. As part of this effort, he helped set up RSS shakhas (Hindi: “branches”), where volunteers met daily, usually in open grounds. Activities in shakhas included community service, physical exercise, and discussions on topics such as Indian history and culture. He envisioned the shakha as a center for building character, discipline, leadership, and patriotism among Hindu youths. Hedgewar remained the leader of RSS until his death in Nagpur on June 21, 1940. He was succeeded as sarsanghchalak by Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar, under whose leadership the organization expanded considerably.

Legacy

The RSS has praised Hedgewar for his efforts to strengthen Hindu society in India and affectionately refers to him as Doctorji (a term combining “doctor” for his profession and the Hindi honorific “ji,” denoting respect). Under his leadership the organization established its foundational structure and vision. Following his death, the RSS continued to expand, growing into a nationwide volunteer organization with tens of thousands of shakhas and a network of affiliate groups (collectively called the Sangh Parivar or “Family of Organizations”), active in fields such as religion, education, and politics. Critics have argued that Hedgewar held prejudicial views toward religious minorities in India, particularly Muslims, whom he reportedly saw as often prioritizing religious identity over national identity. Over the decades the organization has faced controversy surrounding allegations of promoting religious fundamentalism, sectarianism, and communal violence.

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