SHILLONG:
The road march of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Shillong Unit was held peacefully in the city in presence of security personnel on April 23.
Despite heavy rainfall, about 500 members took part in the rally which started from Hindi Balika School (opposite Goenka motors), passing through Police Bazaar, GS Road, Boucher Road, Anjalee, Jhalupara, Mawprem, and culminated at Cantonment ground in Garikhana.
The march is a lead-up to the RSS centenary celebration in 2025.
A member of the RSS told The Meghalayan that the march is an annual event for which prior approval had been taken from the Deputy Commissioner’s office and that everything went as per the directions from the office.
Later, the congregation of Swayamsevaks was held at Gorkha Pathshala Higher Secondary School ground, Garikhana, Shillong on Sunday.
Pawnam Khongsngi, general secretary of the East Khasi Hills district unit of the RSS while delivering his speech to the Swayamsevaks clarified propaganda against it that it wants to convert the people of the state and the region into Hindus and that it was a militant organisation and that it was against other religions.
He also said that not much is known about the RSS in the north east of India.
“I want to inform you that the RSS came into the northeast in 1946 and we were still under Assam. We were not even free from British Rule, we were already serving in the region,” Khongsngi told the Swayamsevaks.
The general secretary of the East Khasi Hills district unit of the RSS also said that the organisation has been in Meghalaya since attaining its statehood in 1972.
“The RSS has served in the northeast for more than 70 years and in Meghalaya for 51 years. But the question in everyone’s lips is that we have never heard about the RSS,” he said.
Khongsngi said that there are voices against the RSS which speak only negative terms like it’s an organisation of the non-tribals and it involves creating division among communities.
“But we have been in the state for 51 years and we don’t have any bad remarks against us. We have not converted even one person to Hindu,” he said.
The general secretary of the East Khasi Hills district unit of the RSS said that India consists of people who believe in indigenous faiths and there have never been any religious conversions.
“We who believe in the indigenous faith do not have any tradition to convert anyone. Conversion is an alien word,” Khongsngi said.
Khongsngi country was invaded by the Mughals and they looted the country’s wealth and also lost its culture and tradition.
He also said that even during British rule the people were displaced from their roots and therefore the RSS’s presence was needed so that it can restore back the lost cultures and traditions of the people of the country which were lost to the invaders.
Khongnsgi informed that the RSS has sponsored the education of thousands of students in the region.
“There are doctors, engineers, bank managers, teachers, and others working in various fields,” he said.
Khongsngi also informed that the RSS is involved in various social services but not much is known about their activities since they do not want publicity.