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Balasaheb
An organiser par excellence
With the passing away of Balasaheb an era comes to an end. Poojya Balasaheb formed the fast surviving nucleus in the string of workers who had the privilege of personal contact with the founder of the Sangh. Balasaheb's entire life was informed by the fierce patriotic fervour that poured out of Doctorji's heart. No wonder such a tried and trusted life should be a constant source of inspiration to innumerable youth to plunge themselves headlong into the yanja that is national service. The result is for the whole world to see : a massive ideologically one family for ever growing from strength to strength.
The spectacular triumph in his fight against the Emergency never went to his head. He came from a different mould from those who deliver themselves of the most astoundingly imbalanced statements as soon as they are installed in office, however small and insignificant and equally ephemeral, because with the least popular support their egos are inflated. Understandably, when he came out of the jail and was being enthusiastically congratulated in State after State on successfully leading the anti-Emergency movement he had this to say to the people : Forgive and forget. Thousands of swayamsevaks were dumped into jails simply for the crime of being patriots. Many were subjected to atrocities resulting in maiming, permanent damage to health, the financial ruin brought about by 19 months incarceration. Balasaheb personally witnessed this all round devastation of many a swayamsevak's family and future. And yet he asked them to be brave and forgive and forget. Sometime during these days Balasaheb and I called on Charan Singh who said that he would never forgive Smt Gandhi, Balasaheb said : We are social workers; you are an administrator. Our aim is to bring all the people together. It is imperative for us to inculcate in us the quality of forgiveness. All social workers should bear in mind this attitude of Balasaheb.
The Sangh was already a victim of deliberate misrepresentation. To add to it the people had deep- rooted prejudices and misconceptions regarding the top RSS leadership. Under the circumstances would be hesitant to call. After Smt Gandhi's death I called on Gyani Zail Singh, accompanied by Balasaheb. Balasaheb's freedom from sophistry, his precise and concise argument, his understanding of national problems all this highly impressed the President. Since then whenever he would be in Delhi Balasaheb to find time to call on the Gyani. In support of the identity of views on the statement "All Hindus are Sikhs and all Sikhs are Hindus" the Gyani arranged to observe the birth centenary of Master Tara Singh in Delhi, to which he invited Balasaheb also. Zail Singh used to say : After all where did the Sikhs come from? Are not they originally Hindu? This cordial relationship gave birth to the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat with Gyani Zail Singh as its patron. The Sikh Sangat even held a meeting on the premises of the President's house.
Author : Prof. Rajendra Singh
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