HSS

The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) extended its presence beyond India by establishing
branches abroad, initially known as Bharatiya Swayamsevak Sangh (BSS) and later as Hindu
Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS). In the 1940s, RSS volunteers settled in Kenya and established a
branch, which eventually evolved into the HSS due to its location outside national borders.
During the Indian Emergency, when the RSS was banned, its organizers traveled abroad to
seek support and engage in activism.
The HSS expanded globally, with significant developments in various countries. In the United
Kingdom, HSS branches were established in cities like Birmingham and Bradford from 1966
onwards. In North America, the HSS’s role was complemented by the establishment of the
Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), also known as the World Hindu Council, which was founded in
Canada in 1970 and in the United States in 1971. Subsequently, the HSS established its
presence following the VHP’s lead.
The RSS announced in 2014 that there were plans to establish HSS chapters in countries such
as Denmark, Germany, 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.