Adv. Raya Shenoy, the first Mukhya Shikshak and the senor most Swayamsevak in Ernakulam, Kerala, passed away abode on February 23. The 94-year-old, was an active member of Ernakulam Bar over the past 67 years.
He joined RSS in 1943 when Purushotham Govid Chincholkar, late RSS Pracharak, came to Kochi from Nagpur and started a shakha in Ernakulam. Venkatesh Shenoy, TMV Shenoy, Ranga Hariji’s elder brother Purushotham Shenoy and Ranga Hariji were Raya Shenoy’s co-Swayamsevaks. AV Bhaskarji joined that team later. Raya Shenoy was appointed the first Mukhya Shikshak of Ernakulam shakha those days. It was three years before legendary Pracharak late K. Bhaskar Raoji came to Ernakulam.
Shenoy participated in the nation-wide sathyagraha when RSS was banned in 1948 in connection with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhiji. Thus he missed one year’s college education. He was the founding member of Bharatiya Jan Sangh and BJP in Kerala. He was actively involved in Vivekananda Rock Memorial activities led by Eknath Ranadeji since 1962. He was a member of the volunteer team led by senior RSS pracharak late P. Madhavji in connection with the formation of Hindu Maha Mandalam under the auspices of Nair Service Society (NSS) led by Mannath Padmanabhan and Sri Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam led by R. Shankar in 1950s.
