Girish Chandra Mishra
WHEN the ban was lifted, Deendayalji was made Sah-Prant Pracharak of Uttar Pradesh. So, now he had to travel regularly, But even then he did not stop writing articles while sitting in the train. His one characteristic I can never forget. He could write a booklet of 40 to 50 pages in one sitting at a stretch. He wrote dozens of such booklets on economic and political issues and handed them to me for revision and if necessary for correction before giving them to the Press for publication. It was my fortune because at that time I was editor of Panchjanya. He regularly wrote one or two articles in Panchjanya till his death and similarly he wrote ‘Political Diary’ in Organiser since he was general secretary and then President of All India Jan-Sangh.
His famous books in Hindi are Jagatguru Shankaracharya and Samrat Chandra Gupta and in English Integral Humanism (Which was first written in Hindi as ‘,dkRe ekuookn’). Before this publication, he had written a book with the title Our Five Year Plans – Prospects, Promises and Performances.
He was very humble, yet resolate and strict in principles and discipline. Once he had to discuss with Swami Karpatriji on the issue of untouchability for several hours and days. Swamiji was in favour of untouchability and Deendayalji tried to convince him that it was a wrong practice and it is not a part of Hindu Dharma. When Swamiji could not refute Deendayalji’s reasoning and arguments he began to abuse the RSS but Deendayalji silently tolerated his abuses remembering that he was a sanyasi.
Once it so happened that in Rajasthan Assembly there were 12 members of Jan Sangh. It was reported to Deendayalji that out of 12, nine members had defied the whip on the issue of zamindari abolition. Jan Sangh was against zamindari. The question arose should action be taken against them. Deendayalji atonce ordered to expel them from the party.
Guruji and Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee both had great faith in the dedication and organising skill of Pandit Deendayalji. Dr Mookerjee had seen his organising skill in the very first session of All India Jan Sangh held at Kanpur in 1951-52. The session was a grand success. The Jammu and Kashmir agitation against Sheikh Abdula’s tyranny also proved the same in 1953 although Dr Mookherjee became a martyr in this agitation on June 23, 1953. His death in J&K jail is still a mystery. After him, Deendayalji was made All India President of Jan Sangh. The All India session of Jan Sangh held in Kerala under the presidentship of Pt. Deendayalji in 1968 was also a grand success. Kerala has been always dominated by Marxists. It proved fatal for Deendayalji. He was murdered a few months after this session while going to Patna from Lucknow in a train on February 11, 1968 in mysterious circumstances. The dead body was found in Mugal Sarai Station. The mystery of his death could not be resolved.
Panditji was Ajatshatru. All political leaders and Parliamentarians expressed hearty grief over his death. Even the then President of India Dr Zakir Hussain paid him homage. Prime Minister Smt Indra Gandhi had also expressed her grief. On his birth anniversary we all are paying homage to his sacred memory and request all social and political workers to emulate his life and teachings.
His concept and ideal of Antyodaya still holds true and needs to be followed. The test of economic progress of a country is to see where the poorest person get his due and stands on the ladder. This is the idea of Antyodya.
