The RSS has drawn up plans to hold "Hindu Sammelans" across the country and organise a lecture series by Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat in the metros, including Calcutta, to focus on "Hindu consolidation" as part of its centenary celebrations.

The RSS leadership held a three-day Prant Pracharak (divisional publicists) meeting in Delhi that concluded on Sunday to discuss the programmes to be taken up as part of the centenary celebrations.

The RSS, founded in 1925, will turn 100 on October 2, the day of Vijay Dashami this year.

"In the centenary year, with the participation of all sections of society, Hindu Sammelans will be held at the divisional level in villages and the locality level in cities," RSS chief publicist Sunil Ambekar said at a media address after the meeting.

Nearly a lakh Hindu Sammelans are to be organised across the country, RSS leaders said.

The meeting was held at the newly built Delhi office of the RSS, which has three 12-storey towers spread over 4 acres.

The RSS leaders said that the consolidation of Hindus was extensively discussed at the closed-door meeting, with pracharaks working on the ground expressing concern over the rising language and caste issues in the country that were "threatening Hindu unity".

Officially, however, Ambekar said that the aim of the "Hindu Sammelans" was to strengthen "social harmony" and eradicate discriminatory practices in society.

"In the Sangh's work, this inclusive approach has always been a key focus. During the centenary year, all planned activities aim at a broad-based outreach to connect with every segment of society and ensure their active participation," Ambekar said.

Asked about the language row in Maharashtra and other parts of the country, he said the Sangh had always held that "all Indian languages are national languages and primary education should be imparted in the mother tongue".

Manipur 'progress'

Ambekar said that the ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur was prominently discussed at the meeting with Sangh pracharaks from the state raising the issue at the gathering.

He said the Sangh cadres on the ground reported "positive progress" towards the restoration of harmony in the state.

"Sangh swayamsevaks in Manipur are reaching out to all sections to restore peace, but it may take more time for complete stability to return in the state," Ambekar said.