Kolkata: Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the ideological fountainhead of BJP, has witnessed a surge in its following in Bengal since the saffron party came to office in the state, with the number of its shakhas (units) set to double by Mahalaya (Oct 10) from around 5,000 before May.With its workload increasing manifold following the rapid expansion of the organisation, RSS will soon have a new five-storey office in New Town, which will ease some pressure on Keshav Bhavan, its state headquarters in Maniktala.“The Sangh and its operations have been expanding rapidly in Bengal. There were around 5,000 shakhas across the state before May. The count will reach 10,000 by Mahalaya,” Biplab Roy, RSS prachar pramukh in south Bengal, told TOI. “Public participation is growing steadily and there is not enough space at Keshav Bhavan. We need a larger office. Keshav Bhavan will remain our primary headquarters. The new building will be an additional facility.”RSS functionaries visiting from other states can stay at the new office, named Keshav Smriti, which will be inaugurated on Sept 26. An RSS office-bearer said seniors in the organisation, including sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat and Dattatreya Hosabale, are expected to attend the ceremony. A puja will be held at the office on Wednesday.Sources said Keshav Smriti will function as the RSS headquarters for the eastern division in Bengal, while Keshav Bhavan will serve as the northern division headquarters. There are plans to establish southern and western divisions as well.Keshav Smriti will be managed by Dr Hedgewar Smarak Samiti, a social welfare organisation dedicated to spreading the ideals of RSS founder Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, after whom the new office and the state headquarters are named. The five-storey building will have a parking facility on the ground floor, meeting halls on the first and second floors and residential units on the other two floors.Keshav Bhavan, on Beadon Street, has been functional since 1989. It came up on a plot donated by a swayamsevak and was built under the supervision of Keshav Rao Dikshit, the then pranta pracharak, who moved from Maharashtra to Bengal in 1950 and played a pivotal role in expanding the organisation in the state. Rao Dikshit remained in Bengal until his death.Speaking about Rao Dikshit, a swayamsevak said: “He was the driving force behind the Sangh’s expansion in Bengal. The state remained his primary focus until he passed away in 2023.”
