At 7 pm in Pune’s Sahakarnagar, a group of around 50 young men – some in their 20s, others still in their teens – gather in an open ground. They begin with Suryanamaskar and a round of yoga before moving on to games. An hour later, they conclude with the Sangh prarthana – “Namaste sadā vatsale matrubhume…” The routine may appear unchanged to anyone who has attended a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) shakha over the decades. Yet, within that familiar framework, the life inside a shakha has shifted.
“I have been attending since I was in first standard. My father came, and now my son Vidish too is a karyavah,” said Shekhar Ghodke, 56, after finishing the morning Sahjeevan Prabhat Shakha.
Prabhat shakhas – held in the mornings – are largely attended by seniors who cannot make it in the evenings. In Pune, the attendees have gone up since 2014. According to Praveen Dabhadghav, regional secretary of the RSS for western Maharashtra, the RSS runs 319 daily shakhas in 53 locations, along with 245 weekly shakhas.
“The core philosophy of the RSS has not changed, but with changing times, alterations have been made in outward or practical aspects,” Ghodke said. The most visible is the uniform. The khaki half-pants have given way to full-length trousers. Even the belt – once made of leather – has changed.
The physical activity remains central, but the younger crowd – many working in IT or business – brings in its own preferences and schedules. To accommodate them, the RSS has started milans – weekly or bi-weekly shakhas tailored for specific groups. “IT professionals can’t attend every day, so they come once or twice a week for IT milans. Similarly, we have Vyavasayik milans for the business community,” said Ghodke.
Covid pushed another major shift. For over a year, shakhas went online. Instead of drills and games, the focus moved to discussions on how to help people in distress. Drills and exercises still shape the one-hour routine, but the games have changed. “Earlier it was Kabaddi, Khokho, local games. Now youngsters prefer cricket, volleyball, even football,” said Ghodke.
And while shakhas once relied on word of mouth, communication is now driven by WhatsApp groups. Shakhas too are no longer confined to open maidans. Many are held in halls.
Naresh Karpe, 51, attends a prabhat shakha in Viman Nagar, on the eastern edge of Pune. His family has been associated with the RSS for four generations, since his grandfather met former RSS chief MS Golwalkar in Shikrapur eight decades ago.
“Now we have Bal Gokulam for children as young as four, usually inside housing societies. There is no flag or prarthana, but the emphasis is on Indian values,” Karpe said.
The intellectual segment of the shakha – typically 15 minutes of discussion after games – has also evolved. While earlier it emphasised swadeshi and nationalism, now many shakhas focus on Kutumb Prabodhan (family values). On Sundays, these sessions stretch little longer, often featuring biographies of national figures or debates on current issues with a Sangh perspective.
In Katraj-Ambegaon, swayamsevaks recently practiced pathsanchalan for the upcoming Dasara rally. The band, once limited to brass instruments such as saxophones, clarinets and euphoniums, now includes mouth organs and pianicas. “We earlier played British tunes, but over the years we shifted to Indian compositions,” said RSS functionary Gunesh Honap.
But discipline has remained constant. “The ultimate purpose is the same – exercise for the body, discipline for the mind, and values for life to contribute to the nation. The way we reach there has just kept pace with the times,” said Ghodke
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