RSS at 100: Sangh Patiently Accumulated Power Without a Führer, But Modi Cult May Be Its Undoing
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The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh turned 100 on September 27, 2025. What has its journey as a political organisation involved over the past century, as it moved from being on the margins of national politics to controlling state power?
Leading political scientist Christophe Jaffrelot is in conversation with Siddharth Varadarajan of The Wire about the origins and foundational thinking of the Sangh, how it both aligns with – and differs from – classical fascism and authoritarianism, and what the future portends for the organisation, and for India. Jaffrelot is a professor at Sciences Po in France and author of numerous books on Indian politics.
This in-depth conversation was recorded in Paris on September 24, 2025.
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