When the complete works of Shri Guruji came out in 12 volumes in Hindi, it was received with eagerness and the work of translating them into Indian languages got underway immediately. However, the lack of authentic English translation, or at least a glimpse of it was felt acutely by a large section of Hindu ideological fellow travellers. For, Shri Guruji is one of the most powerful exponents of Hindutva and he led the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh for 33 years through one of India'smost turbulent times. The pre-Partition freedom struggle, the pain of Partition and the birth of resurgent India?each of these phases gave a call to the RSS and demanded a specific response. And hence the eagerness to understand what Shri Guruji said, in his own words, without comments and explanations.
This need has been partially filled with the publication of M.S.Golwalkar His Vision and Mission. The book compiles Shri Guruji'sspeeches, writings and conversations on selected topics, culled out and translated from the complete works of Shri Guruji, Sri Guruji Samagra.
Shri Guruji'swords have often been prophetic. His comments on China when the slogan of Hindi-Chini bhai bhai was at its peak were too accurate as later development proved. Same way, when Bangladesh was born, though he rejoiced at the victory of the Indian troops, he was skeptic about the birth of yet another Islamic state in our borders. Here again, he had seen the future.
In today'sIndia, politics rules all spheres, sports, business, foreign relations and even internal security and this is what Shri Guruji said about political power ?it is crystal clear that the foundation of our national existence is not based on political power. Otherwise our fate too would not have been better than those countries that have become mere show pieces in museums. Political rulers were never our ideals. They were never accepted as cornerstones of our national life. Only seers and great souls, who had risen above the materialistic temptations of wealth and power and had dedicated their whole life for the creation of a contented, homogeneous society possessing noble qualities, have been its torch-bearers.? (pg 74)
Shri Guruji has spoken most eloquently on Hindutva, the concept of Hindu rashtra and his love for this nation. For him the religion Hindu was synonymous with the secular, for it is we who believed that the King is the ?symbol of protection and support for every sect and faith not the opponent of any religion. In fact, our concept of the state has always been secular? he said. It is a telling commentary of the vitiated political atmosphere today that considers Hindu communal and all that is non-Hindu as secular.
Though the foreword of the book by Shri Mohan Bhagwat, Sarkaryavah, as well as the publisher'snote mention that this book is a team effort and the people who have put it together sought anonymity, it is known that Shri Ranga Hari is the primary architect of this volume.
Topics are put under six sections in the book, dealing with ?Souls Divine? (the great men that our nation saw), ?The Land and its Children?, ?Welfare of the World ? Hindu perspective?, ?Dharma and Samskrit?, ?Organization?, and ?Reflections.? In ?Organization? Shri Guruji'swords on the duties and responsibilities of the Swayamsevaks and the office holders in the Sangh have been highlighted.
Stressing the need to have a strong body, giving the example of Swami Vivekananda, Shri Guruji says ?does beauty mean body-hugging clothes or having strange hair cuts? For a man, his real beauty is to have broad shoulders, to have lion like chest, to have a proud neck like a bull, and to have such a strong grip that a person who shook hands with him once would remember him for life. Today people have forgotten these qualities.? (p 11)
Doctorji, as Dr. Hedgewar was called, was a man Shri Guruji worshipped. In a very touching tribute he says, ?I did not develop this respect and goodwill towards Doctorji in a day? Initially I thought of him as a leader who had a novel way of working. I did not have any other emotions for Doctorji beyond this. But after being with him for only around fifteen or sixteen days at a stretch, I realized that this person, leading a seemingly ordinary life, was in fact, an extraordinary human being. A person, who builds up such a tremendous work, can only be a great and divine soul.
?Doctorji was a confluence of the affection of a mother, the responsibility of a father and the teachings of a guru. I feel very proud to worship such a great personality. If I were to say that he was my ?chosen ideal? it would not be an exaggeration at all. Worshipping Doctorji cannot be worshipping of a human being and if somebody takes it like that, I would only feel proud about it.? (pg 36-37)
Answering those who claim that the sense of nationhood was given to us by the West, Shri Guruji says ?much before the West had hardly learnt to eat cooked meat instead of raw meat, we were a nation. We were a nation and our motherland as a nation extended up to the seas.? He quotes several slokas from the Vedas and the Puranas to establish that our nation, extends from the Himalayas to the oceans. (pg 44) This Shri Guruji repeated many many times throughout his speeches all his life, as if to erase form the mind the indoctrinated theory about our nationhood.
It is such visionary ideals that make imperative the reading of Shri Guruji in his own words. This book initiates those into it who cannot read Shri Guruji in any other Indian language.
(Kurukshethra Prakashan, Kaloor Towers, Kaloor, Kochi-682 017.)
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