A tribute to Nanaji Deshmukh
Former RSS stalwart Nanaji Deshmukh passed away on February 27, 2010. His long innings at politics was one marked by party loyalty and a spirit of communal harmony. He was man of integrity and vision who looked for and believed the best of people.
MY HOME town 'Chitrakoot' is known for its Sufis and Saints, and of course, for its Hindu - Muslim amity. Here, we still have a Ali in every Diw-ali and Ram in every Ram-azan. Kayashth, Brahmans and Syed aristocrats are known for their close relationships. Permutations and combinations of politics and demographic locations or dislocations were exploited by RSS only once or twice. By and large the town has remained a bastion of political sanity and every party was given a chance to represent it at the Assembly and the Parliament.
Into this atmosphere of bonhomie Nanaji Deshmukh, who was an integral part of RSS, once landed for the canvassing the Jan Sangh candidate. As expected, his candidate lost by huge margins. That didn’t make Nanaji a political minion or midget in my eyes. In those days he was a clean-shaven dhoti-kurta-shawl clad RSS senior office bearer. Deendayal Upadhyay was with him. It seemed they both were emerging from the wings of Balraj Modhok - once a powerful leader of J.S.
There was not much to remember in their bhashans except one comment of Nanji: “Whenever and wherever there is a Hindu Muslim riot in any part of the country I try to go there and I always go without police protection. I never carry any arms with me for my protection either. Why? Because I know that riots are the eruption of pent-up emotions. Once the negativity fizzles out sanity returns. All human beings are good by birth. That‘s the only truth.” I believed then and I still believe that he was speaking from the bottom of his heart. My respect for him was not misplaced as I found him, after the assassination of Indra Gandhi, the most vocal leader of RSS who had supported Rajeev Gandhi, much to the chagrin of the motley Congress crowd.
In 1967 Nanaji played a crucial role in forming the government of United Legislative Party as he enjoyed good relations with Chowdhry Charan Singh and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia. He was successful in bringing leaders of different political backgrounds on one platform to give Uttar Pradesh its first non-Congress government. He had thrice outwitted the political heavy-weight Chandra Bhanu Gupta . On one occasion, he planned a strategy to defeat the Congress nominee and CB Gupta's favorite in Rajya Sabha. When CB Gupta himself contested elections from Lucknow in 1957, Nanaji crafted an alliance with socialist groups and helped Babu Triloki Singh in registering an impressive win over Gupta. Gupta faced another embarrassment when he was again defeated at Maudaha in Uttar Pradesh.
Nanaji actively participated in Bhoodan Movement started by Vinoba Bhave. He was inspired by the success and appeal of the movement.
During Emergency a procession led by J P was taken out in Patna. As the procession wound its way through the roads of the state capital, the police made a lathi charge. It was believed that Babu Jayprakah Narayan was the ultimate marked target. The final assault came when J.P’s supporters were escorting him to safety. One of the supporters sprang to his leader’s protection, covered him and took all the lathi blows on himself. That man was none other than Nanaji Deshmukh. One of his arms was fractured in this daring effort. J P and Morarji Desai publicly praised the courage shown by Nanaji.
He was offered the Cabinet portfolio of Industry. Nanaji spurned the overture. In 1980, when he turned 60, he opted out not only from the electoral fray but also politics. He later devoted himself completely to social work, lived in ashrams and never projected himself.
He was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 1999. Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has lavished praise on Nanaji Deshmukh and the organization started by him, the Deendayal Research Institute. He breathed his last on 27th February 2010 at the premises of Bharat’s first rural university, Chitrakoot Gramodya Vishwavidyalaya that he himself had established.
I’m not an admirer of all his ideas but I believe he was a good man. With his death, we lost a great human being but he brought back the luster of Chitrakoot recently stolen away by a kapoot of Chitrakoot - Ichchadhari Swami of Khanpur.
Into this atmosphere of bonhomie Nanaji Deshmukh, who was an integral part of RSS, once landed for the canvassing the Jan Sangh candidate. As expected, his candidate lost by huge margins. That didn’t make Nanaji a political minion or midget in my eyes. In those days he was a clean-shaven dhoti-kurta-shawl clad RSS senior office bearer. Deendayal Upadhyay was with him. It seemed they both were emerging from the wings of Balraj Modhok - once a powerful leader of J.S.
There was not much to remember in their bhashans except one comment of Nanji: “Whenever and wherever there is a Hindu Muslim riot in any part of the country I try to go there and I always go without police protection. I never carry any arms with me for my protection either. Why? Because I know that riots are the eruption of pent-up emotions. Once the negativity fizzles out sanity returns. All human beings are good by birth. That‘s the only truth.” I believed then and I still believe that he was speaking from the bottom of his heart. My respect for him was not misplaced as I found him, after the assassination of Indra Gandhi, the most vocal leader of RSS who had supported Rajeev Gandhi, much to the chagrin of the motley Congress crowd.
In 1967 Nanaji played a crucial role in forming the government of United Legislative Party as he enjoyed good relations with Chowdhry Charan Singh and Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia. He was successful in bringing leaders of different political backgrounds on one platform to give Uttar Pradesh its first non-Congress government. He had thrice outwitted the political heavy-weight Chandra Bhanu Gupta . On one occasion, he planned a strategy to defeat the Congress nominee and CB Gupta's favorite in Rajya Sabha. When CB Gupta himself contested elections from Lucknow in 1957, Nanaji crafted an alliance with socialist groups and helped Babu Triloki Singh in registering an impressive win over Gupta. Gupta faced another embarrassment when he was again defeated at Maudaha in Uttar Pradesh.
Nanaji actively participated in Bhoodan Movement started by Vinoba Bhave. He was inspired by the success and appeal of the movement.
During Emergency a procession led by J P was taken out in Patna. As the procession wound its way through the roads of the state capital, the police made a lathi charge. It was believed that Babu Jayprakah Narayan was the ultimate marked target. The final assault came when J.P’s supporters were escorting him to safety. One of the supporters sprang to his leader’s protection, covered him and took all the lathi blows on himself. That man was none other than Nanaji Deshmukh. One of his arms was fractured in this daring effort. J P and Morarji Desai publicly praised the courage shown by Nanaji.
He was offered the Cabinet portfolio of Industry. Nanaji spurned the overture. In 1980, when he turned 60, he opted out not only from the electoral fray but also politics. He later devoted himself completely to social work, lived in ashrams and never projected himself.
He was awarded Padma Vibhushan in 1999. Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has lavished praise on Nanaji Deshmukh and the organization started by him, the Deendayal Research Institute. He breathed his last on 27th February 2010 at the premises of Bharat’s first rural university, Chitrakoot Gramodya Vishwavidyalaya that he himself had established.
I’m not an admirer of all his ideas but I believe he was a good man. With his death, we lost a great human being but he brought back the luster of Chitrakoot recently stolen away by a kapoot of Chitrakoot - Ichchadhari Swami of Khanpur.
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