The 23rd death anniversary of legendary Sangh Pracharak K Bhaskar alias Bhaskar Raoji aka ‘Kerala’s Doctorji’ was observed by Sangh workers of Kochi last week. Bhaskar Raoji was the former Kerala RSS Pranth Pracharak and former National Organising Secretary of Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram.
Bhaskar Raoji was like a ‘mother’ for thousands of Swayamsevaks. He showered true love on them. He remembered even their personal issues like a computer. He always opted to run the organisation from behind the curtain. He never came to the limelight. Thus he created several veteran leaders like the late P Madhavji, late P Parameshwarji, Renga Hariji, AV Bhaskarji, the late BMS National President R Venugopal, and thousands of others.
After passing his MA and law graduation, he was sent to Kerala as a Pracharak by no less than second Sarsanghchalak Poojaneeya Guruji Golwalkar. He started in Kochi and later on worked in several districts. In the 1950s, he took over as Kerala Vibhag Pracharak and in 1964, Kerala Pranth Pracharak, which he carried on until 1983 when he underwent bypass surgery in Mumbai. Then he took over as the national organising secretary of Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram. He made the Vanvasi organisation a powerful one. He turned into a true Keralite, thanks to his meticulous life in Kerala. When he led the Anti-Emergency Agitation (1975 – 1977), police could not trace him as they were looking for a ‘Mumbaiwalah’. He also led the resistance and Satyagraha movements in 1948 – 1949 when RSS was banned post-Mahatma Gandhiji assassination.
When cancer started to kill him fast, he opted to die in Kerala and moved to Pranth Karyalaya in Kochi. He breathed his last on January 12, 2002.
M. Mohan, the Managing Trustee of Lakshmi Bai Dharma Prakashan, presided. He quoted his experiences with Bhaskar Raoji. Since he was very close to the veteran Pracharak, that he attended him when he underwent cardio surgery in Mumbai in 1983. RSS Kerala Sah Pranth Karyavah KP Radhakrishnan delivered Bhaskar Rao memorial speech. Radhakrishnan quoted the old timers’ saying that Bhaskar Raoji was Kerala’s Doctorji. Because, even though Kerala swayamsevaks have not seen Doctorji (Parama Poojaneeya Adya Sarsanghchalak Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar passed away in 1940 whereas Sangh was launched in Kerala only in 1941), they could experience in Bhaskar Raoji whatever qualities their seniors could see in Doctorji (as they explained to them).
PR Sivashankar, BJP leader, orator and writer, presented a paper on “Why do Kerala’s youths fly abroad”. He pointed out that students are not happy about the quality of education in the state. They are worried about the opportunities for proper jobs too. He quoted several statistical data to justify his arguments.
The keynote address was delivered by Dr M P Sukumaran Nair, a world-famous chemical engineer, fertiliser expert, economist and management expert. While explaining the shortcomings in our planning, Dr Nair pointed out various positive aspects of PM Modii’s policies. He regretted his inability to hear about and meet Bhaskar Raoji while he was alive and part of Kerala’s social life. Dr Nair was the CMD of TCC twice. It is a public sector undertaking that Dr Nair converted into a profit-making industry from an unenviable plight. He was the Special Secretary to Kerala CM VS Achyuthanandan and Chairman of Public Sector Undertaking & Audit Boar, Government of Kerala, led by CM Pinarayi Vijayan, both assignments were awarded to him to put the PSUs back to the healthy track. He is acknowledged as a genuine bureaucrat who handled his responsibilities sans fear or fear. Now, he is the Chairman of Municipal Cooperative Hospital in Kakkanad, Kochi and Director of the Centre for Green Technology & Management. He is a senior office bearer of the Institute of Engineers (India). He leads several other professional organisations.
