Dilip Singh Judeo passes away
Dilip Singh Judeo belonged to the erstwhile royal family of Jashpur and was Minister of State for Environment and Forests in Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. He is survived by wife Madhvi and two sons Prabal Pratap Singh and Yudhvir Singh. Yudhvir, an MLA from Chandrapur assembly constituency, is the parliamentary secretary.
Eldest son Yudhvir Singh performed the last rites in the presence of a host of dignitaries, including BJP president Rajnath Singh, Chhattisgarh Governor Shekhar Dutt, Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh, his Ministers and Speaker Dharma Lal Kaushik. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, former Chief Minister Kailash Joshi, Madhya Pradesh BJP President Narendra Singh Tomar, party vice-president Prabhat Jha and several other dignitaries visited the late leader’s residence ‘Vijay Vihar’ and placed wreaths on his body paying their last respects. BJP general secretary (organisation) Shri Ramlal, general secretary Shri JP Nadda, Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram president Shri Jagdeoram Oraon, vice president Shri Kripa Prasad Singh, general secretary Shri Chandrakant Deo also paid their tribute.
Thousands of Vanvasis joined the 5km long funeral procession which started from Vijay Vihar to the Muktidham located on the banks of Banki river, to give their ‘Kumar Sahab’ a hero’s farewell. Earlier, his body was kept in ‘Vijay Vihar’ Palace to enable people to pay their last respect. In view of the Independence Day celebration on August 15, the state government declared a three-day mourning from August 16 in honour of the leader, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha thrice in 1992, 1998 and 2004 and Lok Sabha twice in 1989 and 2009 during his political career spanning over three decades.
Condoling his death, BJP president Rajnath Singh said, “I am deeply saddened by the news of Dilip Singh Judeo’s sudden demise. His death left a big void in Chhattisgarh state politics. He was very popular among the Vanvasi people of Chhattisgarh.” Governor Shekhar Dutt described Judeo a distinguished personality who made immense contributions towards socio-economic development of Chhattisgarh. Dr Raman Singh said Judeo’s contribution to politics will remain unforgettable and his death is irretrievable loss to the state.
Judeo always stood for the Vanvasi cause and launched a crusade against conversion of Vanvasis into Christianity. He organised home coming campaigns across the state for re-conversion of such Vanvasis. An activist of Akhil Bharatiya Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram he welcomed the Vanvasis into their Sanatan Dharma by washing their feet. It used to be a very emotional scene when the King washed the feet of his people.
He was a very different kind of Raja who kept his doors open for all every time and was mostly first to come ahead for shaking hands. Anybody could enter into his premises and have a sufficient time talking with him. That is why the people of the area are grieved with his sad demise. Markets remained closed in respect of their beloved leader.
Kalyan Ashram and RSS workers paid tribute to the departed soul on August 19 at Kalyan Ashram headquarters in Jashpur Nagar. In his tribute, Kalyan Ashram president Jagdevram Oraon described Judeo a magnetic personality, who attracted people miraculously. “I do not have words to describe his work for the Vanvasis at this moment. It is a major loss for all of us. He always acted as a responsible activist. Despite being a king he was very simple and had unfathomable love for everyone,” he said.
Anil Dwivedi
“I am the chieftain of this small princely state but this person is the king of democracy because the people elect him as their representative.” A king of Rajasthan had introduced Dilip Singh Judeo to his foreign friends some time ago. Now, this ‘King of Democracy’ is no more.
Dilip Singh Judeo was facing difficult days since some time. His son Shatrunjay Pratap Singh died untimely and his mother too left for heavenly abode leaving him alone to fight with the adverse time. Now his passing away has created a void. Judeo would be remembered forever as a pioneer of making Chhattisgarh a BJP stronghold. Donning army uniform, upholding the Hindutva flag and fighting tooth and nail with the evil designs of the Christian Missionaries, Dilip Singh Judeo and his family had placed everything at stake for the sake of BJP and its earlier avatar the Bharatiya Jan Sangh. Their third generation is still following this legacy of their forefathers.
Jashpur area has the oldest church of Asia meaning that the Christianity has dug its roots so deep in this Bastar region of the state. But Dilip Singh Judeo, since his early youth, had become a tough challenge for them. He played a monumental role in bringing back lakhs of Vanvasis to the Hindu fold from Christianity. His act of washing their feet proved his deep respect and love for his ‘own’ people and for Hindutva.
This royal scion of Jashpur lived like a king, fought like a king and departed from this earth like a king. He contested his very first election against Arjun Singh. He was dead against Ajit Jogi and his policies. But he never nursed enmity with his political rivals. This quality of Judeo earned him lots of goodwill from all political hues. He remained in his Rakabganj Road house in Delhi that was allotted him during the NDA rule even at a time when houses occupied by other BJP MPs were forcibly vacated during the UPA rule. He fought like a ‘lion’ for his principles and party. For him the party was supreme.
RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat and Sarkaryavah Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi expressed their deep condolences on the demise of eminent astrologer (Jyotirbhaskar) Jayantrao Salgaonkar. In a statement released from Nagpur, Shri Bhagwat expressed that the nation has lost a great personality which was dedicated to the society throughout his life.
A dedicated swayamsevak Jayantrao Salgaonkar was a prominent and highly regarded personality in social life of Maharashtra. Not only through his forte of scientific astrology, but also through many constructive social and religious programmes he contributed to the society. Jyotirbhaskar Salgaonkar led many institutions and organisa-tions. He was president of the Konkan region of Maharashtra for Shri Guruji Birth Centenary Celebration Committee and this year guided the Swami Vivekananda 150th birth year celebration committee with the responsibility of vice-president. The press statement conveys that the demise of Jyotirbhaskar Salgaonkar is a loss to the organisation and the nation at large.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh strongly condemned the assassination of founder president of Andhashtraddha Nirmoolan Samit (anti-superstition committee), editor of Marathi weekly Sadhna and senior thinker Dr Naredra Dabholkar. He was assassinated on August 20, 2013 by unknown assailants in Pune. In a statement RSS Kshetra Sanghachalak Dr Ashok Kukade stated that this is cowardice attack on a leading thinker of Maharashtra. The statement further states that RSS is with the family members and activists of the Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samiti in this time of great shock and sorrow.
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