RSS Sarsanghchalak Dr Mohan Bhagwat addressed the Shradhanjali programme for former Kerala Prant Sanghchalak P E B Menon on October 20, 2025, at Kochi. P E B Menon, popularly known as Menon sir, breathed his last on October 9.
The Sarsanghchalak stated that Menon sir understood the Sangh not as a movement, but as a sadhana (spiritual practice). Addressing the Shradhanjali programme, Dr Bhagwat said there was much to learn from the late Menon sir, who left behind a legacy of managing the Sangh as a family.
Sarsanghchalak added that Menon sir left for us a legacy of how we should be as individuals, how we should manage our families as Sangh families, and how we should conduct our business as Swayamsevaks. “These values will remain with us forever. Those who knew him have their own experiences and memories to share,” he said. Dr Mohan Bhagwat said that although Menon sir came to the Sangh late, once he joined, he immersed himself completely in the organisation.
The Sarsanghchalak underlined that Menon sir was a source of inspiration for Sangh workers in Kerala. He led numerous social and cultural activities in the state, and Keralites will cherish fond memories of him.
Kerala’s senior-most Pracharak, S Sethumadhavan, delivered the introductory remarks. He spoke about Menon sir’s close association with the legendary Pracharak P Madhavji, which brought him to the Sangh. He explained how Menon sir understood the significance of Sangh Shiksha Vargs and tried to do justice to every responsibility, a truly difficult task. His family hosted several senior Sangh functionaries, and he was a source of inspiration to all.
Kerala High Court Judge Justice N Nagaresh presided over the event. He reminisced that Menon Sir had led several organisations, giving courage and confidence to the workers. He noted that Menon, sir, served society as a Chartered Accountant, just as his predecessor, Adv. T.V. Ananthan had served as Prant Sanghchalak while pursuing his legal practice. “Both proved that Sangh workers should be warriors who protect the people’s interests,” Justice Nagaresh said. Recalling an incident, he added, “A leading businessman once told me that he did not dare to show his account books to Menon sir. That shows what a principled CA he was.”
Swami Akshayathmananda of the Sree Ramakrishna Mission remembered that Menon sir’s family had donated a large piece of land to start the Ashrama at Kalady, the birthplace of Adi Shankaracharya.
Senior BJP leader and former Mizoram Governor Kummanam Rajasekharan said that Menon sir was an umbrella for all during difficult times. He highlighted Menon sir’s involvement in the Nilakkal agitation and the historic Paliyam Vilambaram, which proclaimed that one can attain Brahmanya not by birth but by Karma. (The Vilambaram declared that all knowledgeable Hindus have the right to perform pooja and act as Thanthri of the temple, cutting across caste lines. This was the most significant contribution of senior Pracharak Madhavji.)
Former Balagokulam leader Dr Jagadambika said that Menon sir was blessed with a vast number of disciples. Former BMS National President Adv C K Sajinarayanan remarked that Menon sir was a role model for Swayamsevaks. “He made the Sangh respectable in every field he entered and was always supportive of the BMS,” he said.
Thanthravidya Peetom Managing Trustee Gopalakrishnan Kunji and Hindu Aikya Vedi State President R V Babu were also present on the dais.
More than 1,500 Swayamsevaks, Sangh sympathisers, and friends of Menon Sir assembled for the Shradhanjali programme. Prominent personalities from social and political fields were among them, including BJP State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar.
