RSS group registers as foreign agents in US to expand outreach

A group supporting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has registered with the US Department of Justice under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), outlining plans to expand its public outreach and provide information about the organisation in the United States.

Named RSS Friends, the group filed its registration on August 27, identifying the RSS headquarters, Keshavkunj in New Delhi, as its foreign principal. Its registration lists a Georgia address and names Rajendra Sonarikar, Jayant Pant and Devananda Gaddam as members of its board of directors.

The group’s proposed activities include educational and cultural programmes, community engagement, media outreach and communication with researchers, academic institutions, civil society groups and public officials. It also intends to respond to information it considers inaccurate or lacking context about the RSS.

In its filing, RSS Friends stated that it did not have a written employment, consulting, lobbying or public relations agreement with the organisation. However, it acknowledged that the absence of a formal contract did not necessarily rule out other forms of coordination or association.

The registration was submitted two days before an outreach event organised by the American Hindus for Engagement and Dialogue (AHEAD) Forum at Madison Square Garden in New York on August 29. The programme, titled Universal Oneness Celebration, featured an outreach initiative associated with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.