Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is an Indian right-wing, Hindu nationalist volunteer paramilitary organisation. It is the progenitor and leader of a large body of organisations called the Sangh Parivar, which has developed a presence in all facets of Indian society and includes the Bharatiya Janata Party, the ruling political party under Narendra Modi, the 14th prime minister of India. Mohan Bhagwat has served as the Sarsanghchalak of the RSS since March 2009.
Bajrang Dal is a Hindu nationalist militant organisation that forms the youth wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). It is a member of the right-wing Sangh Parivar. The ideology of the organisation is based on Hindutva. It was founded on 1 October 1984 in Uttar Pradesh, and began spreading more in the 2010s throughout India, although its most significant base remains the northern and central portions of the country.
The Sangh Parivar refers, as an umbrella term, to the collection of Hindutva organisations spawned by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which remain affiliated to it. These include the political party Bharatiya Janata Party, religious organisation Vishva Hindu Parishad, students union Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), religious militant organisation Bajrang Dal that forms the youth wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), and the worker's union Bharatiya Kisan Sangh.
Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, also known by his moniker Doctorji was a Hindutva activist, physician and the founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Hedgewar founded the RSS in Nagpur in 1925, based on the ideology of Hindu nationalism.
Kuppahalli Sitaramayya Sudarshan was an Indian activist and the fifth Sarsanghachalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organisation from 2000 to 2009.
Rashtra is the word for "nation" in Sanskrit. Rashtriya is the adjectival form for Rashtra.
The Rashtra Sevika Samiti is a Hindu nationalist women's organisation that parallels the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) for men. Even though it is often referred to as the "Sister" of the RSS, the organisation claims that it is independent of the RSS while sharing its ideology. Membership and leadership is embraced to women and its activities are directed to nationalist devotion and mobilisation of Hindu women.
Durga Vahini is the women's wing of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). It was established in 1991 and its founding chairperson is Sadhvi Rithambara. The Vishva Hindu Parishad states the purpose of the Durga Vahini is to empower women, encourage more women to participate in spiritual and cultural activities. Kalpana Vyash, a senior leader of the organization, said that the Durga Vahini members dedicate themselves "to physical, mental and intellectual development". The aim of the organization is to establish Hindu solidarity by helping Hindu families during the time of hardship and by providing social services. According to Vyash, the total membership of the group is 8,000 as of 2002, and 1,000 members are from Ahmedabad.
Mohan Madhukar Rao Bhagwat is an Indian veterinarian who is the 6th and current Sarsanghchalak (Chief) of the rightwing nationalist organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh since 2009.
Hindu nationalism has been collectively referred to as the expression of political thought, based on the native social and cultural traditions of the Indian subcontinent. "Hindu nationalism" is a simplistic translation of Hindū Rāṣṭravād. It is better described as "Hindu polity".
Maya Surendrakumar Kodnani is a former Minister of State for Women and Child Development in the Government of Gujarat. Kodnani joined the 12th legislative assembly of Gujarat after being elected to represent the constituency of Naroda as a candidate for the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Laxman Vasudev Paranjape, was a member of the Hindu nationalist organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), along with its first Sarsanghchalak, K. B. Hedgewar. Paranjape also served as the acting Sarsanghchalak, when Hedgewar went to jail during the Forest Satyagraha.
Aravind Limbavali is an Indian politician who has served as a minister in the Karnataka government on four occasions. He is a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He has been a member of the Legislative Assembly for the Mahadevapura constituency from 2008 to 2023.
Singanayakanahalli Ramaiah Vishwanath is an Indian politician who is currently serving as a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from Yelahanka since 25 May 2008. He is a former chairman of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and is presently a member of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) Board.
Ganga Prasad Chaurasia is an Indian politician who is former governor of the states of Sikkim and Meghalaya. He was a member of Bihar Legislative Council and was the leader of the opposition during the RJD regime. He also held the post of leader of the Bihar legislative council during the NDA rule in Bihar. He got associated with Jan Sangh and remained associated with the same ideology till date. He is an ardent follower of Arya Samaj and served as Pradhan (Head) of the Bihar Arya Samaj Pratinidhi Sabha unit. He is popularly known as 'Ganga Babu' in the political circle.
Sadhvi Prachi is a radical Hindutva politician and member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad.
Dattatreya Hosabale is an Indian social worker and politician who is the current General Secretary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) since March 2021. During the period of Indian Emergency from 1975 to 1977 he was arrested under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) and imprisoned for 16 months. He also served as the general secretary for the student organization, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad for 15 years. He has been actively involved in the RSS since his youth and has held various key positions within the organization.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, Karnataka, or simply, BJP Karnataka, is the state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party of Karnataka. Its head office is situated at the BJP Bhavan, 11th Cross, Temple Street, Malleshwaram, Bengaluru. The current president of BJP Karnataka is B. Y. Vijayendra. It is the main opposition party in Karnataka.
Ranjana Kumari is an Indian social activist, writer, and academic. She is the director of the Centre for Social Research in Delhi and chairwoman of Women Power Connect, a national organization of women's groups.
Laxmibai Kelkar, born Kamal Datey, affectionately known as 'Mausiji', was a prominent Indian social reformer and freedom fighter known for her contributions to women's empowerment and the Indian independence movement.
