Swadeshi Jagaran Manch

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Swadeshi Jagaran Manch
Formation1991 (1991)[1]
TypePolitical and cultural
Region served
India
WebsiteOfficial website

The Swadeshi Jagaran Manch (SJM; Hindi: स्वदेशी जागरण मंच) is a political and cultural pan-India movement that works on public policy and economic issues.[2][3] Since at least 2015 the SJM has been critical of foreign direct investment.[4][5] Founded on 22 November 1991 in Nagpur, Maharashtra, Swadeshi Jagaran Manch works on issues relating to economic policy and public policy discussions in India.[6] The organisation promotes the concept of swadeshi and engages with issues relating to economic self-reliance, domestic production and sustainable development.[7] It conducts conferences, seminars, awareness programmes and publications on subjects connected with economic and social development.[1]

History

Swadeshi Jagaran Manch was founded on 22 November 1991 in Nagpur, Maharashtra, under the guidance of Dattopant Thengadi, founder of the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and Bharatiya Kisan Sangh. The organisation was established to promote the concept of swadeshi and encourage discussions on economic self-reliance, indigenous development and sustainable growth in India.[8]

Dr. M. G. Bokare, an economist and former Vice-Chancellor of Nagpur University, served as the organisation's first convener. During its formative years, the organisation organised seminars, conferences, study circles and awareness programmes on issues relating to economic development, industry, agriculture and self-reliance.[9]

Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Swadeshi Jagaran Manch expanded its organisational network across India through state, regional and district-level units. The organisation conducted educational programmes, public discussions and outreach activities aimed at promoting awareness of swadeshi-based approaches to development and encouraging participation in issues relating to national economic growth.[10] In subsequent years, it broadened its engagement with policymakers, academics, entrepreneurs and civil society organisations through conferences, workshops and public programmes.[11]

The organisation continued to organise seminars, policy discussions, training programmes and awareness campaigns relating to entrepreneurship, manufacturing, technology, agriculture and self-reliance. It also supported initiatives aimed at promoting local enterprise and economic development in different parts of the country.[12]

References

  1. "Introduction". Swadeshi Jagran Manch. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  2. Thacker, Teena (18 August 2017). "RSS arm raises questions over govt's draft policy on pharma". Live Mint. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  3. "SJM wants fresh cooked food to fight malnutrition in kids". India Today. 23 August 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
  4. "RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch opposes FDI in single brand retail, foreign investment in Air India". Firstpost. 11 January 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  5. "We Want A White Paper On Costs And Benefits Of FDI". Outlook. 9 March 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  6. Singh, Prashant (22 November 2020). "Swadeshi Jagran Manch — how RSS-inspired body went from pariah to key policy guide in 29 yrs". ThePrint.
  7. "Swadeshi Jagran Manch: From tug-of-war with Atal to ideological alignment, largely, with Modi". The Indian Express. 8 February 2023.
  8. Singh, Prashant (10 November 2020). "Dattopant Thengadi — activist MP from RSS who shaped 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' idea decades ago". ThePrint. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  9. Thengadi, Dattopant (1998). The Third Way. Rashtra Shakti Prakashan.
  10. "Swadeshi Jagran Manch: From tug-of-war with Atal to ideological alignment, largely, with Modi". The Indian Express. 8 February 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  11. Singh, Prashant (22 November 2020). "Swadeshi Jagran Manch — how RSS-inspired body went from pariah to key policy guide in 29 yrs". ThePrint. Retrieved 10 June 2026.
  12. "Swadeshi Jagran Manch, other RSS affiliates set up 448 centres to promote entrepreneurship". ThePrint. Press Trust of India. 15 January 2024. Retrieved 10 June 2026.