Veteran Sangh pracharak and activist of Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram Tilak Raj Kapoor passed away in Rudrapur, Nainital, on October 7. He was 82. He was cremated in Rudrapur.
Born on January 9, 1925 at Jalandhar (Punjab) Kapoor was the eldest among his three brothers. Former Lt. Governor of Delhi Shri Vijay Kapoor is also a member of his family. Shri Kapoor came into the contact of RSS in his childhood and served the nation as a pracharak throughout his life. His greatest contribution is the expansion of Kalyan Ashram work in remote Vanvasi areas. Apart from the north-eastern states and remote Vanvasi areas his work in Uttarakhand received great praise from all. He used to say that instead of opposing the Christian missionaries we should make our own work stronger. It would fetch good results. He fell ill in Rudrapur in last days of his life. Thousands of local people participated in the funeral procession. Prominent among those included Uttarakhand Chief Minister Shri B.C. Khanduri, Tourism Minister Shri Prakash Pant, Health Minister Dr Ramesh Pokhariyal ?Nishank?, former state BJP president Shri Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Assembly speaker Shri Harbans Kapoor, Congress MLA Shri Tilakraj Behar and Rudrapur Municipality president Shri Rajkumar Thakral, former MP Shri Balraj Pasi and BJYM state president Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami. Prant Pracharak Shri Shiv Prakash, Poorvi Uttar Pradesh Kshetra Pracharak Shri Ashok Beri, Prant Sanghachalak Shri Shivpal Singh Negi and VHP'scentral secretary Shri Rajendra Singh ?Pankaj? also paid their tribute.
Paying tribute on behalf of the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram Shri Kripa Prasad Singh, joint general secretary, described his death as a major loss. ?Tilakji became a pracharak in 1942 and joined the Kalyan Ashram in 1978. At the time when the work of Kalyan Ashram was expanded all over the country, Shri Basantrao was sent to Calcutta, Shri Avadh Behari in Kanpur, Shri Balasaheb Dixit in Nasik, Shridhar in Hyderabad and Shri Tilakraj Kapoor in Rudrapur. Shridharji among these personalities has already passed away. Now Tilakji has also left for heavenly abode. After taking over the responsibility of western Uttar Pradesh, he strengthened the Kalyan Ashram work in Leh, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and western UP and created an effective network of service activities. His death is an irreparable loss for us. His work will continue to inspire all of us,? Shri Kripa Prasad added. (FOC)
