Dr Subramanian Swamy
My interaction with Suruji began after I visited Chennai with Shri Atal Behari Vajpayee in 1971 to address a Sangh Shakha. We were part of the visiting members of Bharatiya Jana Sangh National Executive in Chennai. From that day, my contact for informal conversations, was frequent till 1980. I spent hours with him in Chennai Sangh Karyalaya discussing books on religion, Swami Vivekananda, Integral Humanism and economic policy.
The moment that instantly comes to my mind when I think of Suruji is his compassionate attitude. In 1980, due to disagreement over the newly formed BJP adopting Gandhian Socialism as its core ideology, and not Hindutva I had, at the suggestion of the then RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Balasaheb Deoras, agreed to continue till further notice in the Janata Party in which the Jan Sangh had merged in 1977.
Suruji was the first to call me to discuss with me why at that juncture Gandhian Socialism was necessary as the ideology. I was touched by his concern for my situation but I said it was alright since I had many projects to pursue, such as getting Kailash Manasarovar pilgrim route opened by Chinese, which the Chinese had closed since 1950. I succeeded in April 1981 and became the first Yatri to Kailash in August 1981. From 1980 to 2004, Suruji asked about my welfare and enquired about my views on national and international matters through common friends.
In 2004, a moral calamity struck the nation when, as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Ms Jayalalitha ordered the arrest, on Deepawali night, of the Kanchi Shankaracharya, shocking the conscience of the whole country. The VHP led by Shri Ashok Singhal then asked me to join the struggle to get Swami Jayendra Sarswati and Swami Vijayendra Sarswati released and later exonerated in the court. Due to this involvement, I began to regularly visit Chennai Sangh Karyalaya, and once again began meeting Suruji and discussing current situation regularly. If I did not meet him at least once a month, he would phone me to enquire why.
In 2006, Man. Sudarshanji told me that for the sake of Hindutva I should merge Janata Party with the BJP. Suruji was extremely supportive and he talked with many BJP leaders to expedite the merger. Finally, Shri Nitin Gadkari and Shri Rajnath Singh took steps for a formal merger. Shri Narendra Modi also conveyed his support for it when I met him. But it became a reality after RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat assured me that because of my espousal of the Hindutva cause, swayamsevaks would welcome it.
Suruji was delighted when I called on him on August 11, 2013 to inform him that the merger had taken place. Since then I met Suruji regularly and as before discussed a wide range of issues. I certainly will miss him for kind souls like him are rare.
(The writer is former Union Minister and now a Rajya Sabha MP)
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