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{{short description|Overseas branch of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)}}
{{Infobox organization
| name = Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh
| native_name =
| abbreviation = '''HSS'''
| logo = Hindu.Swayamsevak sangh.png
| logo_size = 200
| image =
| image_size =
| alt =
| caption = Official logo of HSS.
| motto = ""We achieve by our own strength""
| predecessor =
| merged =
| successor =
| formation = 1940
| extinction = 
| headquarters =
| location =
| region = Outside [[India]]
| leader_title =
| leader_name =
| leader_title2 = National convenor
| leader_name2 =
| key_people =
| main_organ =
| parent_organisation = [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]]
| affiliations = [[Sangh Parivar]]
| staff =
| volunteers =
| mission = [[Hindutva]] movement in foreign nations (outside [[India]]).
| website = {{url|https://www.hssus.org|Official website}}
}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2015}}
{{EngvarB|date=January 2015}}

'''Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh''' ({{Lang-hi|हिन्दू स्वयंसेवक संघ|lit=[[Hindus|Hindu's]] volunteer organization}}; {{Small|abbr}}: {{Abbr|HSS|Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh}}) is a sister organization to [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS) for supporting and mobilising [[Hindus]] living outside India. It was founded in 1940s in [[Kenya]], it is currently active in 156 countries and estimates 3289 branches.{{sfn|Jaffrelot|2009|p=362}}

== History ==
Two volunteer members of the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (S''wayamsevaks'') that had settled in Kenya in the 1940s and started a ''shakha'' (branch). Since such shakhas were not on 'national' (''rashtriya'') soil, they were renamed as the branches of ''Bharatiya'' Swayamsevak Sangh, later ''Hindu'' Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS). [[RSS Pracharak]]s [[Madhukar Dattatraya Deoras|Bhaurao Deoras]] and others spent several years abroad to develop the organisation. During [[the Emergency (India)|the Emergency]] RSS was banned in India and, consequently, sent its organisers abroad to seek support and carry out activism.{{sfn|Jaffrelot|2009|p=362}}

HSS in the United Kingdom was established in 1966, and ''shakhas'' were established in cities like [[Birmingham]] and [[Bradford]].{{sfn|Starrs|2001|p=13}}

In North America, the HSS gave the lead to the sister organisation [[Vishwa Hindu Parishad]] (VHP, World Hindu Council), which was founded in Canada in 1970 and in the United States in 1971. The HSS followed in its wake.{{sfn|Jaffrelot|2011|pp=700–701}}

== Australia ==
The HSS organisation in [[Australia]], as elsewhere, says that its focus is on the country in which it is based and that it does not send money to India. It claims to be "ideologically inspired by the RSS vision of a progressive and dynamic Hindu society that can deal with its internal and external challenges, and contribute to the welfare of the whole world". Aside from providing links to the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS), they also have links with organisations such as the [[Vishwa Hindu Parishad]] and the [[Hindu Youth Network]]. The professed aim is to raise awareness in matters relating to Hindus but support no specific political party or candidate.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hssaus.org/faqs/ |title=FAQs |publisher=HSS Australia |year=2015 |access-date=2015-04-14}}</ref>

== Kenya ==
HSS Kenya was started in Nairobi on 14 January 1947 by Jagadish Chandra Shashtri with his colleagues. It was originally known as Bhartiya Swayamsevak Sangh. Since then it has spread throughout Kenya with Shakhas operational in [[Mombasa]], [[Nakuru]], [[Kisumu]], [[Eldoret]], and [[Meru, Kenya|Meru]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Home|url=http://hsskenya.org/|access-date=2021-05-23|website=hsskenya.org}}</ref> HSS in Kenya also runs a socio-cultural-religious organisation of Hindus by the name of Hindu Religious Service Centre (HRSC). It was started in [[Nairobi]] in 1947.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2016-12-13|title=Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) organised 21-day 'Vishwa Sangh Shiksha Varg-2016' begins at Nairobi, Kenya|url=https://samvada.org/2016/news/hss-vssv/|access-date=2021-05-23|website=Vishwa Samvada Kendra|language=en-US}}</ref>

== Liberia ==
'''HSS Liberia''' was started in [[Monrovia]] on 29 October 2017.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}

During the COVID-19 pandemic in July 28, 2021, the HSS Liberia and the Red Cross provided food aid to Liberian people for the country's independence day.<ref>{{cite web |title=Red Cross, HSS Liberia provide July 26 food ration for vulnerable people |url=https://thenewdawnliberia.com/red-cross-hss-liberia-provide-july-26-food-ration-for-vulnerable-people/ |website=The New Dawn Liberia |access-date=13 January 2022}}</ref>
[[File:Hss_Liberia.jpg|thumb|HSS Liberia, Starter 14 October 2017]]

[[File:Hss_womens_shakha_Liberia.jpg|thumb|HSS Liberia Sevika Shakha started separately on 16 December 2018]]

== Nepal ==
The HSS was established in Nepal around 1992 by a group of Nepali students who were influenced by leaders of the Hindu nationalist RSS while studying in India. The two bodies share a similar [[Hindutva]] ideology. Their presence is particularly prevalent in the [[Terai]] region and they have regimented programs of education, dissemination of ideology and exercise as elsewhere in the world.<ref name="mulmi">{{cite book |title=The Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh and Hindutva in Nepal |first=Amish Raj |last=Mulmi |url=http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Publications/Detail/?ots591=0c54e3b3-1e9c-be1e-2c24-a6a8c7060233&lng=en&id=164107 |publisher=Centre for South Asian Studies (CSAS) and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation |pages=22–32 |year=2013}}</ref>

The Nepali HSS has been among several groups campaigning for a reversal of Nepal's 2006 decision to become a [[secular state]] after years of being ruled by a Hindu royal family. They say that the king had not favoured Hindus, that the decision was engineered by anti-Hindu groups, included communists and missionaries, and that in any event, it was unnecessary because there had been no persecution of religious minorities under the previous system. Among their demands has been that only Hindus should be appointed to high official posts.<ref name="mulmi" /><ref name=Lawoti>{{citation |last1=Lawoti |first1=Mahendra |last2=Hangen |first2=Susan |title=Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict in Nepal: Identities and Mobilization After 1990 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=D7Oga-GvExMC&pg=PA234 |year=2013 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-78097-1 |pages=234–}}</ref>

== United Kingdom ==
HSS in the United Kingdom was established in 1966.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hssuk.org/ |title=HSS UK |publisher=HSS UK |year=2015 |access-date=2015-04-14}}</ref>
On 18 February 2015, the [[Charity Commission for England and Wales]] announced that it was opening an investigation into HSS and two other organisations that were featured in [[ITV (TV network)|ITV's]] ''[[Exposure (UK TV series)|Exposure]]'' programme.<ref>{{cite web|date=18 February 2015|title=New charity investigations: Global Aid Trust and Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (UK)|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-charity-investigations-global-aid-trust-and-hindu-swayamsevak-sangh-uk|access-date=2015-04-14|publisher=The Charities Commission}}</ref> The two other organisations claimed to serve Muslim and Sikh communities.<ref>{{cite news|date=20 February 2015|title=RSS-inspired charity, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, under probe in the UK over "extremist" views|work=The Indian Express|agency=PTI|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/world/europe/rss-inspired-charity-hindu-swayamsevak-sangh-under-probe-in-uk-over-extremist-views/|access-date=2015-04-14}}</ref> Among the claims against the HSS made in the broadcast was that a visitor at a summer camp told children that "the number of good Muslims 'can be counted on one finger'" and that "to destroy Hindu history is the secret conspiracy of the Christians". After an investigation by the Charity Commission HSS was cleared of all charges and the allegations were withdrawn on 26 October 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|title=New charity investigations: Global Aid Trust and Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (UK)|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-charity-investigations-global-aid-trust-and-hindu-swayamsevak-sangh-uk|access-date=2020-09-26|website=GOV.UK|language=en}}</ref>

== United States ==
In the US, the HSS registered as a tax-exempt [[501(c)(3)]] non-profit organisation in 1989.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hssus.org/content/blogcategory/0/111/ |title=FAQ |publisher=HSS US |year=2015 |access-date=2015-04-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160508231313/http://www.hssus.org/content/blogcategory/0/111/ |archive-date=8 May 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Presence elsewhere ==
The RSS announced in 2014 that there were plans to establish HSS chapters in countries such as [[Denmark]], [[Finland]], [[France]], [[Italy]], the [[Netherlands]], and [[Norway]]. It claimed that the two organisations worked closely together and shared a similar ideology but were not as one.<ref>{{cite news |work=Hindustan Times |title=RSS plans to join Hindu groups, expand in the West |first=Kumar |last=Uttam |date=8 October 2014 |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/rss-plans-to-expand-in-the-west-teams-up-with-other-hindu-groups/article1-1272833.aspx |access-date=2015-04-15}}</ref>

== References ==

=== Citations ===
{{reflist}}

===Bibliography===
* {{citation |first1=Gerd |last1=Baumann |first2=André |last2=Gingrich |title=Grammars of Identity/Alterity: A Structural Approach |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DqEGulGWVdgC&pg=PA158 |year=2004 |publisher=Berghahn Books |isbn=978-1-84545-108-0}}
* {{citation |first=Shmuel Noah |last=Eisenstadt |author-link=Shmuel Eisenstadt |title=Multiple Modernities |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CvaXiIcGLNAC&pg=PA177 |year=2002 |publisher=Transaction Publishers |isbn=978-0-7658-0926-1 |pages=176–177}}
* {{citation |last=Jaffrelot |first=Christophe |author-link=Christophe Jaffrelot |title=Hindu Nationalism: A Reader |publisher=Princeton University Press |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mOXWgr53A5kC |date=2009 |isbn=978-0-691-13097-2}}
* {{citation |last=Jaffrelot |first=Christophe |author-link=Christophe Jaffrelot |title=Religion, Caste, and Politics in India |year=2011 |publisher=C Hurst & Co |isbn=978-1849041386 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XAO3i_gS61wC}}
* {{citation |first=Madhulika Shankar |last=Khandelwal |title=Becoming American, Being Indian |publisher=Cornell University Press |year=2002 |url=https://www.google.co.uk/search?tbs=bks:1&q=isbn:0801488079 |isbn=0801488079}}
* {{citation |first=Roy |last=Starrs |title=Asian Nationalism in an Age of Globalization |url=https://www.google.co.uk/search?tbs=bks:1&q=isbn:1903350034 |publisher=Routledge |year=2001 |isbn=1903350034}}

== External links ==

* {{Official website|https://www.hssus.org/}}
{{Sangh Parivar}}

[[Category:Sangh Parivar]]
[[Category:Charities based in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Charities based in London]]
[[Category:Charities based in Australia]]
[[Category:Charities based in the United States]]
[[Category:International volunteer organizations]]

Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh - Revision history

UpdateBot at 10:54, 19 May 2022