An organiser par excellence Suruji was popular not only in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, but also all over the country for reshaping innumerable persons from dust to glittering pieces of gold. Materialising his vision into action should be our motto
Chennai: “Suruji was a mentor who could shape anyone who is not aware of the Sangh or anyone who is new to the Sangh, to a person who becomes very proficient and exemplary. Such was his grooming that, when needed, he was strict like a father and soft and affectionate like a mother,” said the RSS Dakshin Kshetra Sanghachalak Shri Vanniyarajan, while releasing the special issue of Organiser dedicated to the life and works of the late K Suryanarayana Rao on his 94th birth anniversary on August 19. The function was held at the Infosys Hall in the presence of eminent personalities that included Member of Parliament Shri Ila Ganesan, eminent author Shri Aravindan Neelakantan and Organiser editor Shri Prafulla Ketkar. The function began with Vandemataram and concluded with the National Anthem.
In his opening remarks Shri Vanniyarajan spoke in detail about Suriji’s contribution to the growth of the Sangh work in Tamil Nadu. “It was believed that Suriji was personification of Swami Vivekananda, where everything was pre-planned and destined and happened in accordance with the God’s will. Till his last breath, Suriji believed in Tamil Nadu being sanghmaya and Tamil and Hindu culture were not different from each other,” he said.
Shri Vanniyarajan highlighted many other touching aspects of Suruji’s life. He said Suruji, who was popular as Suriji in Tamil Nadu, occupies a very significant position in the history of the Sangh. From Prant Pracharak to Akhil Bharatiya Sewa Pramukh and then RSS National Executive Member he played a very prominent role in building and nurturing the swayamsevaks in Tamil Nadu. He shaped innumerable persons from dust to glittering pieces of gold. Quoting Swami Chithbhavananda he said “Tamil Nadu’s Swami Vivekananda” lived last during 1980s when strong roots of the Sangh work were founded in the State. That was a turning point to many activities in the State. As a result of those initiatives today the Sangh has 2,000 Shakhas in the State and work in all spheres of social life. It got possible because of the guidance and hard work of visionaries like Suruji who molded countless swayamsevaks.
Referring to Swami Chithbvananda Shri Vanniyarajan further said that Swamiji once mentioned: “Suruji was like a father in disciplining and nurturing, like a mother in showing affection, like a guru in guiding, like a king in protecting and like a God in grace and love.” Even when he was unwell, I could understand his feelings and sentiments. He always wished that Tamil Nadu must become prime and important centre of Sangh activities. His speech was always interspersed with quotes from Alwar, Nayanmars and Swami Vivekananda. He used to mention that Tamil Nadu would not accept or embrace a principle that easily, but once it is accepted it would not leave it easily. Suruji was not born to attain swarga, but watches and guide us further. Swami Vivekananda once said he would be there with us for another 1,500 years to come. Likewise, Suruji lives amongst us and guides us,” Shri Vanniyarajan added.
Shri Ila Ganesan said like the bhakti of Nayanmars and Alwar towards their respective gods, Suriji’s bhakti was towards the nation alone. He was an organiser who was not only popular in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka but also in the whole of India. The spread of his message was first restricted at the time of Emergency. It is ironical that media instead of projecting the good messages that the RSS and Modiji are trying to spread twist the facts with false information. He recollected an incident which happened at Dindigul where Suriji and he were travelling by cycle rickshaw. The Pracharak of that region was cycling besides him. Suriji asked the rickshaw pullar to stop and he got on to the Pracharak’ s cycle and rode all the way to the station as he felt very restricted inside the rickshaw. Such was his simplicity. During the satyagraha movement in jail, Suriji almost made a library inside the jail much to the surprise of the authorities as he was an avid reader of Swami Vivekananda’s books and could recollect from any given page and book the narratives, such was his bhakti towards Swami Vivekananda,” Shri Ganesan added.
Eminent author Shri Aravindan Neelakantan said: “It’s unfortunate that Tamil Nadu and Bharatiya culture are seen as two different things, whereas it’s the land of Sanatan Dharma. British education system has only corroded our self-belief towards politics, education and society. India being a Hindu majority land we don’t have to have a separate colony. On the other hand we should feel superior as a Hindu nation as it is an additional responsibility. Hindutva is not an ideology, but is the basis of this nation and this land (Tamil Nadu) is the eternal land of Dharma. Hindu Rashtra is not a political goal to be achieved, but to be realised by each individual, as it is not an end in itself but a means to achieve the end purpose.”
Organiser editior Shri Prafulla Ketkar recalled the memorable moments with Suriji in 2015 when Suruji visited Nagaur for the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS) and attended the Sangh prarthana despite his ill health.
“Suruji had only one thought in his mind and that was to realise Swami Vivekananda’s dreams into reality and carry his mission forward. He highlighted three-points which are,
spiritual democracy as it is inherent in us; inherent unity despite the diversity being experienced in Bharat as Swami Vivekananda showed us and lastly, tolerance and intolerance towards other religion and their mode of worship. Language being an expression of
communication, there is an inherent unity in all the languages. Organiser has an intellectual space and Swami Vivekananda’s message of Bharat and Bharatiyata is an additional responsibility of the Hindus. Vision in Action should be our motto henceforth to carry the message of Suriji,” Shri Ketkar stressed. —Bureau Report
