Fact Check: Viral Video of RSS Workers Dancing Is From 2015, Not 1942

A viral black-and-white video claiming to show Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers dancing in 1942 has been debunked by fact-checkers at Lighthouse Journalism, who found the footage is actually from 2015 and was simply converted to black-and-white to give it a vintage appearance.

The misleading video has been circulating widely across social media platforms in recent days. Several users shared the footage with captions suggesting it came from “BBC archives” and dated back to 1942, during India’s struggle for independence. The posts implied RSS members were dancing to “appease their English masters” while other Indians were chanting patriotic slogans like “Vande Mataram” and “Inquilab Zindabad.”

One prominent share came from X (formerly Twitter) user Davinder Pal Singh, whose post garnered significant attention. Similar posts appeared from other accounts, including users Jaspinder Kaur Udhoke and Adheesh T, all presenting the footage as historical evidence of RSS activities during India’s independence movement.

Lighthouse Journalism’s investigation began with reverse image searches on key frames from the video, which initially yielded no results. However, when researchers conducted keyword searches for “RSS workers dancing,” they discovered the original source of the footage.

The investigation led to a colored video uploaded to Aaj Tak’s YouTube channel over nine years ago. The video, titled “RSS workers seen dancing before meeting in Nagpur,” showed the exact same scene but in full color, confirming the black-and-white version had been digitally altered to appear older.

Further verification came when researchers found the same footage on Marathi news channel Zee 24 Taas’s YouTube channel, again in color and clearly dating from the modern era. Despite claims about BBC archives, no such footage was found in the British broadcaster’s online archive collection.

This incident highlights an increasingly common problem on social media platforms where historical context is manipulated to create misleading narratives about political organizations. By converting recent footage to black-and-white and falsely attributing it to a historical period, those sharing the video attempted to create a fabricated historical record.

The RSS, founded in 1925, is one of India’s oldest and most influential Hindu nationalist organizations. Its role during India’s independence movement has long been a subject of political debate, making historical footage of its activities particularly sensitive in the contemporary political landscape.

Social media platforms continue to struggle with the rapid spread of such misinformation. Despite efforts to implement fact-checking mechanisms, misleading content can quickly gain traction before being identified as false.

This case serves as a reminder for social media users to approach historical claims with skepticism, particularly when they align too conveniently with contemporary political narratives. Basic verification techniques, such as searching for original sources or checking reputable archives, can help identify manipulated content before sharing it further.

As digital manipulation tools become increasingly accessible, the authentication of historical footage will remain a challenge for both media organizations and the general public in maintaining an accurate historical record.