NEW DELHI: The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will not extend invitations to the embassies of Pakistan, Türkiye, and Bangladesh for its 100th anniversary celebrations, even as it engages with several other foreign diplomatic missions.
The centenary celebrations will include a wide range of invitees from within India—minority community leaders, cultural and sports personalities, entrepreneurs in emerging sectors like startups and Indian knowledge systems, and thought leaders across disciplines.
The highlight of the celebrations will be a three-day event in New Delhi beginning on August 26, led by RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. The event will focus on the Sangh’s hundred-year journey, its role in nation-building, and its vision for the future under the theme of "new horizons."
Bhagwat’s address in Delhi will be one of four major events leading up to the RSS's centenary Vijayadashami celebrations on October 2. Similar dialogues are planned in Bengaluru in November, followed by Kolkata and Mumbai. Each of these events will feature two days of lectures by Bhagwat and a third day dedicated to a Q&A session based on questions submitted in advance.
The Delhi programme, scheduled to begin at 5:30 PM each day, will also explore the ‘Panch Parivartan’ (Five Transformations) agenda for the centenary year.
Bhagwat is expected to address topics such as India's pursuit of development through indigenous strengths rather than colonial-era frameworks, the country’s untapped potential across various sectors, and its evolving global role.
According to RSS prachar pramukh Sunil Ambekar, the invitee list spans 17 primary categories and 138 sub-categories, covering sectors such as social service, economy, religion, spirituality, sports, arts, media, and academia. “Our aim is inclusive national development. We seek dialogue with all segments of society,” he said.
While outreach to several foreign missions is ongoing, Ambekar confirmed that some countries will not be invited. “We are in contact with many embassies, but given the current context, Pakistan will not be invited,” he stated. RSS sources further indicated that Bangladesh and Türkiye will also be excluded from the invitee list.
The broader outreach effort will also include young innovators working in technology, language promotion, and entrepreneurship.
