A closer look at far-right networks, focusing on the case study of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in India.
How do far-right networks embed themselves in cultural, educational, and political institutions? How do they translate grassroots presence into electoral power and ideological influence? And what explains their resilience across very different political contexts?
This event will examine the organizational strategies that enable far-right movements to build legitimacy, extend their reach across society, and sustain long-term mobilization.
To explore these questions, the event will showcase the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in India as a central case study. As one of the world’s largest and most enduring far-right organizations, the RSS offers a particularly revealing lens onto the mechanics of far-right mobilization:
- Its century-long historical development
- Its layered ecosystem of affiliated organizations
- Its decisive influence on contemporary Indian politics.
Yet the RSS is not an outlier. Its strategies resonate with, and in some cases prefigure, patterns visible in far-right movements across Europe, the Americas, and beyond, from the cultivation of civil society fronts to the fusion of nationalism, majoritarian identity, and disinformation.
Together we will reflect on what these networks mean for democracy, pluralism, and civil society today, and how their growing visibility is reshaping political landscapes worldwide.
Meet the speaker!
Sruti Bala is an Associate Professor in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Amsterdam. Her research interests revolve around the intersections of culture, performance, and politics. Dr.Bala published studies on a wide range of topics including nonviolent protest, artistic activism, feminist and postcolonial/decolonial theories. She is a member of the collective International Solidarity for Academic Freedom in India (InSAF India), which advocates for collective academic freedoms and building global solidarities with Indian and international peoples’ movements for radical social, economic and ecological justice.
What are the #DemocracyDrinks?
#DemocracyDrinks is an informal, recurring conversation and networking series bringing together people working on democracy, peace, justice, and democratic participation.
The format is intentionally simple: open, dialogue-led conversations in a relaxed setting. #DemocracyDrinks The Hague provides space to connect across sectors, test ideas, explore emerging questions, and reflect collectively on democratic challenges beyond formal panels or presentations.
Launched by Defend Democracy in Brussels in 2018, #DemocracyDrinks now takes place in cities around the world. Editions in The Hague have brought together a diverse mix of practitioners from NGOs, international institutions, think tanks, government, and civil society. The Hague series is co-organised by the Netherlands Helsinki Committee (NHC), the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD), and The Hague Humanity Hub (THHH).