RSS bids goodbye to khaki shorts, starts sale of its new uniform

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is set to replace khaki shorts, its trademark attire for 90 years, with brown trousers from October 11 and the sale of the new dress has already been launched with each piece costing Rs 250.

According to sources, around 7 lakh trousers are to be provided in the first phase to the members of RSS, which is the ideological mentor of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.

The RSS will formally adopt the new ‘Ganavesh’ (uniform) from Vijaydashami, the organisation’s foundation day that falls on October 11 this year.

“Around 2 lakh full pants have already reached offices of organisation in various states that is being provided to all its members,” head of the RSS’ communications department Manmohan Vaidya said.

The trousers will replace the knee-length khaki shorts that members of the RSS, the BJP’s ideological mentor, have worn for the last 90 years.

Aditya Chowdhary, a RSS worker, said with changing times, the right wing organisation has opted for a new look.

“There are a lot of things in our uniform. Initially, we used to wear leather belts, but later it was changed after a Jain saint objected to it. Similarly, we used half pants, and now we have changed the length to full keeping in mind the changing times. I have come to buy the new uniform. I have seen the look in photographs and it looks good,” said Chowdhary.

Another Sangh worker Amit Raipade said he is excited to experiment the new look.

“The old uniform was also comfortable, but the new uniform has been brought keeping the changing times in mind. We are excited with the new change,” said Raipade.

The decision to switch to the brown trousers was taken in March this year at the annual meeting of the organisation’s highest decision-making body, the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha.

The Sangh has announced that it would do away with its traditional trademark ‘khaki’ knickers that it has used for over nine decades and replace them with the brown trousers, that would be matched with white shirt, black cap, brown socks and bamboo sticks.

The new full pants have been stitched in different parts of the country, but the raw material has been bought from the textile town of Bhilwara in Rajasthan, the sources said.

The new uniform that will be sported by all RSS members at the annual Vijaydashami celebrations will see a sea-change in the uniform and the organisation is preparing for the transition.

-- With inputs from ANI