Manju Gupta
THE author presents in brief 25 chapters carrying Shri Guru Golwalkar’s message and doctrines to show the path to follow by the citizens of India. In his life of 33 years, the country passed through many upheavals.
There were riots before Independence, the country became free of foreign yoke, the country was partitioned, millions of Hindu brethren were displaced and had to escape to India to seek refuge, with most of them becoming refugees, the Chinese attack was foiled, three wars with Pakistan were fought, the Kashmir problem aggravated due to weak handling by politicians, agitation against cow slaughter was mounted while at the same time, the RSS grew in strength and its reach spread far and wide.
The chapters have been taken from Guruji’s book from which two chapters have been excluded as one of them contains his letters addressed to Swayamsevaks and Karyakartas regarding tackling personal problems and stressing on Sangh work and the other contains the tributes paid to him after his death.
Talking of sanskriti, Guruji said that in our country, it is not possible to place language, creative activity and philosophy in any one category because the existence of any one cannot be moulded into the framework of every man. Our sanskriti has to be maintained for solving our problems as this is the lifeline of Hindu tradition and culture. The word ‘culture’ is a Western connotation but it is not a proper meaning of sanskriti because the latter has no limits or boundaries; it is vast whereas the word ‘culture’ is limited in scope and expanse.
Guruji said that when the historical, religious and cultural traditions of a group of people are same, then it constitutes a nation. Here he reminds us that it is the ordinary villager who forms the foundation of our nation and upon whom the welfare and prosperity of our nation exists.
Guruji goes on to explain his views on how life should be led and how it is akin to mixing salt in water and how salt and water lose their own individual properties to become one. Similarly we humans should dissolve ourselves in national life and in the welfare of our country. He says that one’s land should be respected like God and expresses his views on development of land, on Hindu land, nationalism, the golden middle path and tradition. He says that the foundation of our social structure is strong as the Hindu society is like a banyan tree which provides shelter to all and which Emperor Humayun uprooted from the soil at Allahabad, but it again grew up after a year to serve its purpose. He says the Hindu culture cannot be wiped out; it will continue unabatedly to grow.
The author says that Guruji was a great philosopher concerned about all mankind. His aim was to protect the Indian culture, dharma and society by reminding the Hindus of their identity and duty, besides arousing their spirit of nationalism, patriotism, love, peace, cooperation and equality in the world.
The author Damodar Shandilya has compiled Guruji’s views on different subjects and presented them in an orderly manner and in abbreviated form so as to enable a layman to understand them easily.
(Damodar Shandilya, 2-6-26 Teachers’ Colony, Kota, Rajasthan-324009)
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