Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is a Hindu nationalist organization, based on the principles of Hindutva. It was started in 1925 by Dr. KB Hedgewar. BBC says that RSS is the largest voluntary organization in the world. Since 1925, it has slowly gained political influence, culminating in the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, formerly the Bharatiya Jana Sangh). Organisation The Sangh organises itself hierarchically, with a single individual, the sarsanghachalak, directing it. Most of the organisational work of the Sangh is done through the coordination of shakhas, or branches. RSS Sarsanghchalaks The individuals who held the post are Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar (founder) (1925-1940) Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar upAkhya Shri Guruji (1940-1973) Madhukar Dattatraya (Balasaheb) Deoras (1973-1993) Prof. Rajendra Singh upAkhya Rajjubhaiya (1993-1998) KS Sudarshan (1998-present) Roots and History The RSS traces its roots to 1800s, when a reform took hold upon Hindu society. In 1925, Dr. Balasaheb Hedgewar, a Nagpur doctor formed the Rashtriya Swayemsevak Sangh. The word "Rashtriya" means "National," and the word "Sangh" means "Union". The word "Swayemsevak" may be translated to mean a self-reliant servant of the people and country, a volunteer in spirit and patriot in action. Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda (Arabic: ??????? - al-Qa‘idah, "the foundation" or "the base") is the name given to an international alliance of Islamist organizations. Al-Qaeda gained worldwide notoriety after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.. The group is led by Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, although Al-Qaeda's exact size and organizational structure are unknown. Al-Qaeda believes that western governments, and particularly the American government, interfere in the affairs of Islamic nations against the interests of Muslims. History Al-Qaeda evolved from the Maktab al-Khadamat (MAK) — a mujahideen resistance organization fighting against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s. Osama bin Laden was a founding member of the MAK, along with Palestinian militant Abdullah Yusuf Azzam. Command Bin Laden is the emir of Al-Qaeda (although originally this role may have been filled by Abu Ayoub al-Iraqi), advised by a shura council, which consists of senior Al-Qaeda members, estimated by Western officials at about twenty to thirty people. Read: Who is Osama Bin Laden?
	(Courtesy: wikipedia)