Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday unveiled a special postage stamp and a commemorative Rs 100 coin to mark the centenary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), featuring the first-ever depiction of Bharat Mata on Indian currency.
The coin shows the national emblem on one side and an image of Bharat Mata in Varada Mudra on the other, accompanied by a lion, while RSS swayamsevaks are depicted bowing before her. The coin also carries the RSS motto, “Rashtray Swaha, Idam Rashtraya, Idam Na Mama,” meaning “Everything is dedicated to the nation, Everything is the nation’s, Nothing is mine.”
“For the first time in the history of independent India, the image of Bharat Mata has been featured on Indian currency, which marks a moment of great pride and historical significance,” Modi said at the launch.
The postal stamp “highlights RSS swayamsevaks’ participation in the 1963 Republic Day Parade”. Modi described the launch as a proud tribute to Bharat Mata and the RSS’s century-long journey of service and dedication.
The centenary celebrations, organised by the Ministry of Culture, were attended by RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Modi, a former RSS pracharak, rose through the organisation before joining the BJP, which draws ideological inspiration from the RSS.
