Inside the RSS, the world’s most powerful volunteer group
Among the foot soldiers of Hindu nationalism, bored young men find purpose
It feels like a cross between a military parade and a school sports day. In the Indian city of Nagpur, thousands of members of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu-nationalist group, are goose-stepping into a playground, dressed in khaki trousers, white shirts and black caps. There are young men with bristling moustaches, middle-aged men with paunches bulging over belts and elderly men with glasses resting on the tips of their noses. There are no women.
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This article appeared in the Christmas Specials section of the print edition under the headline “The foot soldiers of Hindu nationalism”
Christmas Specials December 21st 2024
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