Shree Gurujee and His RSS is another interesting book edited by Shri Aanand Aadeesh. His earlier book, Naman Madhav, was in Hindi, basically a poetry book on Shri Guruji. This book is about the birth, growth and evolution of the RSS. It basically highlights the life, works and achievements of the first two Sarsanghachalaks?Dr Hedgewar and Shri Guruji.
The book has 16 articles written by eminent personalities, mostly the RSS pracharaks like the late Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya, the late Dattopant Thengadi, Prof. Devendra Swaroop, Shri K. Suryanarayan-rao, Shirpati Shastri, Shri P. Parameshwaran, etc. The articles provide a true insight and graphic picture of how idealism inspired the two Sarsangha-chalaks, the difficulties they faced and surmounted in course of their leadership of the organisation.
As the editor points out, the RSS had no office, no name, no written constitution, no designated head, no flag and no funds for quite some time. The first Gurudakshina function was held in 1928 and a princely sum of Rs 84/- was collected. Dr Hedgewar's house was its first office. The task before the founder of the RSS?reawakening and reinvigorating the slumbering nation?was stupendous and daunting. However his courage was boundless and the will was unflinching. In 1940, the mantle of the organisation fell upon Shri Guruji after the death of Dr Hedgewar.
The period of Guruji'sstewardship of the RSS was one of expansion, advancement and consolidation. He ?converted it into a mighty and powerful organisation of national rejuvenation and national reconstruction based on the timeless Hindu Dharma.?
The period from 1940 onwards was a tumultuous one. The 1942 Quit India Movement, Muslim League'sDirect-Action Day in 1946, the Partition of the country, the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, the massive mass-filling of jails by swayamsevaks (80,000) when the RSS faced ban, the lifting of the ban unconditionally, the triumphant welcome Shri Guruji received on his tours subsequent to the lifting of the ban are main events, which catch one'simagination.
The fifties and the sixties saw the branching of the RSS into several social and political organisations. Shri Guruji firmly held the belief that ?neither capitalism nor communism could provide a lasting and peaceful solution to the world problems, as they are based on materialism. The world needs and awaits a spiritual solution, which only Hindu philosophy can provide.?
The two problems, which are still confronting the Hindu society, are untouchability and conversion. The pioneers of Hindu renaissance, Maharshi Dayanand and Swami Vivekanand, tried to tackle these problems and arouse our conscience. Founder of the RSS, Dr Hedgewar and his successor Shri Guruji successfully dealt with both these problems. The article ?Dharma Rajya and Rajya Dharma? by Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya, emphasises that dharma is not a religion but a way through which the society is sustained and protected. The article emphasises that ?the principles of dharma have to be adapted to changing times and place.? It says modernisation is not mere westernisation. Westernisation has led to materialism, consumerism and individualism and what we need today is a new paradigm and a new vision of reality. India'sspiritual civilisation is ?the new hope?.
One article deals with the falsification of history. First, it was the ?Aryan invasion theory? that predominated. Then it was replaced by ?Aryan migration theory?. Now the truth has come out. It has increasingly been accepted that India was the cuddle of civilisation of the entire mankind. It is being emphasised that the Vedic and Harappan cultures represented a single cultural tradition. India had a flourishing science and technology coupled with advanced civilisation and elevating philosophy. Today, science tends to concentrate on the external world. It is the time we ?cry a halt to this one-sided development and initiate a process, which synthesises science and spirituality.?
In short, the resurgent India dreamt by Dr Hedgewar and the spiritual India envisioned by Shri Guruji provides a ray of hope to the welfare of mankind. The clarion call of the book is to inspire people to be true Hindu.
(M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd., 11 Darya Ganj, New Delhi-110 002)
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