Inaugurating the 80th birthday celebrations of senior BJP leader and former Union Minister O Rajagopal at VJT Hall, Thiruvanantha-puram on September 29, Shri Oommen Chandy, top Congress leader and opposition leader in Kerala Assembly said, Rajagopal is a simple, humble and ideal politician, worthy of emulating. “Rajagopal is a role model for future and present politicians,” he emphasised.
“I had the honour to participate in the first public reception, given to him in Kottayam, after he became Union Minister in 1999. O Rajagopal is above politics and is helped and praised by all. He used his Ministership for the good of people, especially in Kerala. I was not able to co-operate with BJP politically, due to ideological differences, but had good relations with him. That is the strength of our democracy and system. But sadly, instead of competing with other parties for welfare and development of people, some parties (CPM), are attacking other parties with weapons, liquidating them, physically. This politics of confrontation and intolerance has to give way to politics of development, welfare and conciliation. I wish O Rajagopal long life in service of Kerala,” Shri Oommen concluded.
Releasing the autobiography after handing over first copy to Kerala University Vice-chancellor Dr Jayakrishnan, Padmasri P Parameswaran said, the autobiography is an encyclopaedia for political workers and BJP watchers. “The book highlights the developments in Rajagopal’s life in tandem with BJS/BJP’s growth. It gives insights into OR’s relations with Pundit Deendayalji, Guruji, NSS founder Mannathu Padmanabhan and Mata Amritanandamayi.”
“Kerala Gandhi K Kelappan likened OR’s political speeches to a teacher taking a class. Our culture is that rulers should be guided by dharma, values and spirituality. King Janaka was described a ‘Raja Rishi’ (Both a Raja and a Rishi). Even Congress had a ‘Raja Rishi’ Purushotham Das Tandon, who lashed out against Partition. But the CPM is even now shy of Bharatiya culture and values. O Rajagopal is a ‘Raja Rishi’ who has people’s welfare and spirituality uppermost, in his mind. He is talking of sanyasa. I urge him to take sanyas on the mould of Maharshi Aurobindo, who kept aloof from day to day politics but directed the course of the nation from his Pondicherry ashram. In a time when there is political vacuum, ‘Raja Guru’ like O. Rajagopal is needed,” he concluded.
Ninety six year-old BJP leader, Ayyappan Pillai, Swami Sivamrutha Chaitanya, BJP President PK Krishnadas, leading film actor of Malayalam Madhu, K Raman Pillai and poet Vishnu Narayanana Nampoothiri, offered felicitations to Rajagopal. The messages of LK Advani and Prant Sanghachalak PEB Menon and a poem in praise of O Rajagopal by former BJP President PS Sreedharan Pillai were read out.
Replying to the felicitations Shri O Rajagopal said Jeevithamrutham is his experience of 80 years of life and 50 years BJP/BJS association.
He said, “Parameswarji and Raman Pillai linked me with Deendayalji. Deendayalji convinced me that after 1,000 years of alien rule, the nation needed an ideology to move forward. The western concepts of socialism, liberalism and communism caters to material aspects of life which is temporary, where there is no contentment. Only ‘Integral Humanism’ which is based on Sanatana Dharma and dharma, artha, kama, moksha cycle can take our nation to ‘Dharma Rajya’. I thank everyone and implore Parameswarji to write a book on Dharma Rajya.”
The autobiography consists of very few ‘I’s and more on BJS, BJP/ RSS ideology, old BJS days, towering pracharaks, Pandit Deendayal Upadyaya and Guruji. It is noted for absence of personal attacks on political parties and leaders. It emphasises Pandit Deendayalji’s message to OR and the nation to ‘Go back to Gandhiji’. In the autobiography with 44 chapters O Rajagopal says, he is on the borderline between Vanaprastha and Sanyasa.
