In a rare interview, a leader of the world's largest right-wing group talks to NPR
In a rare interview, Dattatreya Hosabale, the General Secretary of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), spoke with NPR during a visit to Washington D.C. for an event at the Hudson Institute. The RSS, a large Hindu nationalist organization in India, seeks to promote a vision of India centered on Hindu identity, challenging its secular founding principles. The group has faced criticism for alleged ties to violence against religious minorities and for influencing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies. Hosabale's engagement with Western media marks an unusual outreach by a senior RSS leader.
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World In a rare interview, a leader of the world's largest right-wing group talks to NPR April 25, 20265:45 PM ET Heard on All Things Considered By Rob Schmitz , Henry Larson , Adam Raney In a rare interview, a leader of the world's largest right-wing group talks to NPR Listen · 9:45 9:45 Transcript Toggle more options Download Embed Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5795781/nx-s1-9745002" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) volunteers take part in the Hindu nationalist organisation's centenary celebrations at Reshimbagh Ground in Nagpur on October 2, 2025. IDREES MOHAMMED/AFP via Getty Images hide caption toggle caption IDREES MOHAMMED/AFP via Getty Images The largest right-wing group in the world is in India. That group is an all-male, Hindu Nationalist organization called the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. It's better known by its acronym, the RSS. Its goal is to undo the founding fathers' vision of India as a secular country, home to people with many faiths. Some of its members and those of some of its sister organizations have been implicated in – or accused of - instigating attacks against India's Muslim and Christian minorities. Famously, a former RSS member assassinated one of the most famous Indians in history, Mohandas Gandhi, in 1948. Sponsor Message Critics say Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is hostile to Muslims in particular and borrows from the organization's Hindu nationalist ideology. The leaders of the movement rarely talk to the Western press, which is why it was surprising when a lobbyist representing one of those leaders asked NPR to set up an interview. The General Secretary of the RSS, more or less the second in command of the organization, Dattatreya Hosabale, was in Washington D.C. this week for a talk at the conservative think tank the Hudson Institute. NPR's Rob Schmitz spoke with Hosabale to learn why he was in the nation's capital, and why he was speaking with the press. Listen to the full interview by clicking on the blue play button above. Hindu nationalism religion Facebook Flipboard Email
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