The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) elected Dattatreya Hosabale as the next sarkaryavah (general secretary) on Saturday, 20 March, replacing Suresh ‘Bhaiyyaji’ Joshi — who has held the position for twelve years from 2009.
The decision was taken during RSS’ Akhil Bharatiya Prathinidhi Sabha, the annual conclave, which is currently underway in Bengaluru. The organisation elects its new general secretary every three years and having secured the position for the fourth time in 2018, Joshi’s tenure ended this year.
Speaking at the conclave after being elected, Hosabale laid down RSS’ agenda for the next three years.
“The RSS’ agenda for the next three years will be to implement Gau seva (cow protection), family counselling, environmental protection, social injustice eradication, rural development, refertilising earth.”Dattatreya Hosabale
He also added that the RSS will be holding its 100th year of “service to the nation” in 2025 and the organisation will prepare for it.
The post of sarkaryavah – which manages day-to-day activities of the organisation as the sarsanghchalak acts as the Sangh Parivar’s “guide and philosopher” – is considered the highest executive post in the RSS.
The annual meet which happens at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur every year was shifted to Bengaluru in the light of the surging COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra.
Who is Dattatreya Hosabale?
Dattatreya Hosabale, popularly known as Datta ji in the RSS, hails from Sorab in the Shivamogga district of Karnataka. He comes from a family of RSS activists and he himself joined the organisation in 1968. He later became a part of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in 1972 and was the general secretary of the student group for 15 years.
Hosabale, who was jailed under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) during the Emergency, is considered to be a staunch supporter of the government’s policies like NRC and NEP.
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