India, Sept. 22 -- The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh has reached its centenary. Its leaders call it a cultural force. Its members see it as the soul of the nation. But a century of its work shows something else. It has been a movement that has stalled India's progress, divided society, and narrowed the idea of the nation.

Founded in 1925, the RSS stayed aloof from the freedom struggle. While millions risked their lives against the British, the Sangh built a closed brotherhood. Its founder spoke of discipline, but not of liberation. Its cadres were never at the forefront of protests. That choice marked the organisation's true instinct: avoiding sacrifice, focusing instead on control. The assassination of Mahatma Gandhi remains its darkest m...