Intro: Dr Kirtida Mehta, wife of Mumbai based entrepreneur Shri Ramesh Mehta complies her experiences with various Sangh leaders she came across during the last five decades.
RSS is set to celebrate its centenary in 2025. During the last nine decades much has been written about the RSS. But Mumbai based Dr Kirtida Mehta has come out with a first of its kind book on RSS. She is wife of a Mumbai based entrepreneur Shri Ramesh Mehta. During the last five decades she met many Sangh adhikaris who visited their home (‘Punil’ at Juhu) or in the meetings where she supported her husband in various activities like a shadow.
Kirtida has complied her memoirs in Paami Paras Sparsh Aapano, Dhanya Thaya Ame (Due to You, We Experience Divine Attainment). The book is in Gujarati and was released by Didi Maa Sadhvi Ritambara in the presence of the RSS Sarkaryavah Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi at a function held in Mumbai on April 5. Published by Sadhana Prakashan Trust, Ahmedabad, the 479-page book is a treasure of Kirtida’s recollections about her early life, her marrying Rameshji, raising her three daughters, all the while catering to the busy schedule of various towering personalities who either stayed at or visited their home. More importantly, it narrates the visits of tallest leaders like Balasaheb Deoras, Atal Behari Vajpayee, Nanaji Deshmukh, Narendra Modi, Madhavrao Mulye, Dattopant Thengadi, Eknath Ranade, Balasaheb Thackeray, Moropant Pingale, Abaji Thatte, Acharya Giriraj Kishore and many others.
Though not included in the book Kirtida has given a passing reference to a very significant moment in Bharat’s history. It is about Shri Narendra Modi, a dedicated swayamsevak. She said it was at their house that Modiji was asked to join BJP. She did not divulge any more details nor indicated who gave the direction.
Another major development that took place at her house was a meeting between RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Balasaheb Deoras and Shiv Sena Chief Balasaheb Thackeray. It was decided at the meeting that the Sena will work with the BJP. The alliance gave a new turn to political process. The meeting was organised at the initiative of Ramesh Mehta, who used to address various functions of the Sena although BJP and Sena were at loggerheads at that time. When Shri Thackeray reached Punil to call on Shri Deoras, the discussion somehow veered to the ‘Marathi and Gujarati’ topic, a much-talked about subject then. As soon as Thackeray mentioned about Ramesh being a Gujarati, the latter replied, “I am a Hindu first.” Even before Thackeray had recovered, Ramesh told him, “I have addressed many Sena events and have spoken better than your Shiv Sainiks.” Amused, Thackeray asked his aid, Ramesh Prabhoo, if what Mehta was claiming was true. When Prabhoo endorsed it, Thackeray became a different person and the alliance was sealed. Kirtida has described this event in detail. The book also mentions of a meeting between Shri Vajpayee, Shri LK Advani and Shri Bala Saheb Doras.
The book release function was addressed by Didi Maa Sadhvi Ritambara, Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi, Mahamandaleshwar of Sanyas Ashram Swami Vishveshwarananda and Sanghchalak of England Shri Dhirajbhai Shah. Brief speeches by Madhavi, Neha and Shachi, the three daughters of Ramesh and Kirtida, was a unique experience since they described how they were treated like their own daughters by various RSS stalwarts. Bhaiyaji said, “Ideology alone is not enough for running an organisation. It needs a foundation of practicality, emotional bonding and affection. It is owing to Bharat’s culture of family relationship that it is different from all other cultures. This sentimental attachment brings joy and pleasure in our lives.”
He complimented Smt Kirtida for her painstaking work and made it a point to mention that this was perhaps the first ever documentation of the RSS personalities.
The memoir refers to a galaxy of RSS functionaries including Shri Bhai Mahaveer, Shri Jagannathrao Joshi, Shri Balraj Madhok, Shri Rajju Bhaiya, Shri Sudarshanji, Shri Mohan Bhagwat, Shri HV Seshadriji, Shri Bhaurao Deoras, Shri Chaman Lal, Shri Lakshmanrao Bhide, Shri Lakshmanrao Inamdar, etc. — Dilip Chaware
