NEW DELHI: RSS will not extend invitations to the embassies of Pakistan, Turkiye and Bangladesh for its 100th anniversary celebrations, even as it is reaching out to other diplomatic missions it's been in touch with.

The list of invitees includes representatives of minority communities, sports and cultural icons, thought leaders and entrepreneurs from emerging fields such as startups and Indian knowledge systems. The highlight of the centenary year will be a three-day dialogue in Delhi from Aug 26, led by sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat, focusing on Sangh's century-long journey, its role in nation-building and its vision for "new horizons".

Bhagwat's Delhi address will be part of a series of four major events in the run-up to the Vijayadashami centenary on Oct 2. Similar dialogues are scheduled in Bengaluru in Nov, Kolkata thereafter, and Mumbai. Each will feature two days of lectures by Bhagwat and a third day devoted to a pre-submitted question-and-answer session.

The Delhi programme will begin at 5.30 pm each day and will also delve into 'Panch Parivartan' (Five Transformations) agenda of the centenary year. Bhagwat is expected to touch on issues such as India shaping its future through indigenous stren-gths rather than colonial-era benchmarks, unexplored capacities in various fields, and the country's evolving global role.

According to RSS prachar pramukh Sunil Ambekar, the invitation list spans around 17 main categories and 138 sub-categories, including social, economic, religious, spiritual, sports, arts, media and intellectual leaders. "Our aim is that the entire country should move forward together on its development journey. We want a dialogue with all sections of society," he said.

Ambekar added that while outreach to some foreign missions was under way, certain countries would be excluded. "We are in contact with many embassies but given the current context, Pakistan will not be invited," he said. According to RSS sources, countries like Bangladesh and Turkiye are not going to be invited. The outreach programme also covers young innovators in technology, language promotion and entrepreneurship.