“In 2012, when KS Sudarshan’s last rites were taking place, large crowds were coming for his darshan. Two security guards who were with him, one had retired earlier, and the other had served with him till the end, both came to the gathering. When people asked the retired guard why he had come, he replied, ‘I may have retired, but I was never detached from Sudarshan ji. The other guard said, ‘Now the joy of doing this job has ended,’” said Alok Kumar.
“Sudarshan ji was a B.Tech graduate, originally from Karnataka. He had read an unlimited number of books. He knew all the major languages of Bharat. In 1954, he became a Pracharak. From then on, self-study, reading–writing, and Sangh’s Shakha became his entire life. He also served as the Akhil Bharatiya Baudhik Pramukh and as the Sharirik Pramukh. Those who spent time with him felt that he was a perfectionist in both roles”, he said.
“Around 1970, a demand arose within the Sangh that Judo-Karate should be introduced. He identified Indian traditions of Judo-Karate being taught in Kerala and Kashi. At that time, eight swayamsevaks received training. Sudarshan ji himself learnt Yog, meditation, and Pranayama deeply. People with expertise in these fields felt astonished at the depth of his knowledge”, he further said.
Sharing one incident, Alok Kumar said that if someone asked him for water, and brought a whole bottle, he then scolds him for that. And if someone filled a glass to the brim and gave it, they had to listen to a four-minute lecture that it would be wasted. Throughout their lives, people remembered this lesson of no to waste water.
Alok Kumar told the gather that, Sudarshan ji always said that Sangh’s swayamsevaks must learn to recite the quotes of our great personalities. It was during his tenure that dialogue with people of Islam and Christianity began. He would say that these people only need to be reminded that they are the same as us, that their ancestors are the same.
“Once, during a dialogue in Kerala with the 25 Archbishops of Bharat, Ranga Hari ji, and Sudarshan ji were present, the Archbishops told them that within Christianity there are many differing views about the Sangh. The discussion lasted three hours. After the meeting, they said that they had several misconceptions about the Sangh, and that even the 25 Archbishops themselves had never sat together like this. ‘You unite Hindus, and today you have united Christians as well,’ they remarked”, Alok Kumar told.
He further told that, “In another meeting in Chandigarh, many Sikh intellectuals were present. Their Sudarshan ji spoke about Gurbani, the Dasam Granth, and the Sikh Gurus, one Sikh scholar said, ‘What he is explaining, only a Granthi could explain this much.’ He had similar deep knowledge of Buddhism”.
“Sudarshan ji had also served as Pracharak in the North-East. He used to visit their continuously for years. At that time, the situation there was challenging. He realised that the North-East must be understood, they are people deeply connected to Bharat’s ancient traditions. Therefore, he explained across the country how the North-East is inseparably connected to Bharat. He knew every corner of the region. Along with this, he also understood that separatism could be countered only by understanding their ancient languages and their culture”, he said.
“Sudarshan ji expanded the work of Vivekananda Kendra and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram in every state of the North-East and ensured the opening of schools so that people could understand Bharat. He brought nearly 10,000 students from the North-East to other parts of the country, where they stayed, studied, and learnt the spirit of Bharat. This continued every year, and their number rose to about 70,000. When they returned home, they shared these experiences to other people. This played a significant role in ending separatist activities in the region”, he told the gathering.
Sharing another anecdote, Alok Kumar said, “In 2001, in Tripura, four of our swayamsevaks were abducted by Naxals. Attacks on swayamsevaks had occurred there earlier as well, but such an incident happened after a long gap. Sudarshan ji then initiated dialogue with every party in the region. He also engaged with Sikhs, Jains, and Muslims. He would patiently answer swayamsevaks’ questions until they were completely satisfied”.
At that time, Dr, Mohan Bhagwat was the Sarkaryavah. The Sarkaryavah executes the work of the Sangh, while the Sarsanghchalak provides direction. In that period, the Sangh completed 75 years. Throughout the country, swayamsevaks spoke on topics like youth, women, and similar issues, this was done under the Rashtra Jagran Abhiyan, Alok Kumar said.
“In 2006, Guruji’s birth centenary was commemorated. During this time, Samajik Sadbhav Baithaks (social harmony meetings) were organised across the nation. Their objective was to bring together people of different castes at every level. Along with this, several other groups, including sadhus and saints, were connected. NGOs were involved, representatives of various sects and religious organisations were invited, along with leaders of social organisations, temple authorities, and heads of pilgrimage centres. These meetings were extremely meaningful, and many people who previously remained distant from Sangh’s ideology also attended these meetings”, he said.
“In 2009, Dr Mohan Bhagwat became the Sarsanghchalak, and he carried forward the same core ideas that Dr Hedgewar worked on and were upheld by other sarsanghchalaks. The vision remained the same; only the styles of each Sarsanghchalak were different. Dr Bhagwat also advanced the very same subjects and continued working on them with equal commitment”, he said.
While speaing on Dr Mohan Bhagwat, he said that, “Dr Mohan Bhagwat’s father, Madhukar ji, was also a Pracharak. Dr Mohan Bhagwat himself is a veterinary doctor. When he became sarsanghchalak, within the Sangh, the discussion about changing the uniform (nikar-vesh) had been going on for a long time. Many swayamsevaks said that the nikar is their identity.
Until 1972, the police uniform in Maharashtra also included the khaki shorts. The nikar was once a uniform associated with soldiers and the police. But the newer generations were no longer comfortable wearing it. Dr Mohan Bhagwat emphasised that the Sangh and society should reflect each other. He said that the conduct of our swayamsevaks should itself become their identity in society. Therefore, trousers were introduced, an easy, simple uniform. Earlier, the footwear was long boots, but now it has been simplified as well”.
All these changes reflect the same guiding principle: the Sangh is not separate from society; the Sangh is shaped like society itself, Alok Kumar said.
“The Gau Raksha movement also took place during this period. It focused on cow protection and the promotion of cow-based products. Its impact was such that more than 5,000 new gaushalas were established across the country. Today, branded cow milk is available. Earlier, people would say that buffalo milk gives strength, but now it has changed, cow’s milk has gained recognition, and in many places, discussions and lectures on the importance of the cow are being held”, he said.
“Around the same time, 150th birth centenary of Swami Vivekananda was celebrated. His message of Hindutva and his work for Bharat’s civilisational thoughts are well known. More than 2 crore people participated in various programmes organised during the centenary year. During this tenure, many new organisations also became associated with the Sangh. More than 2,000 NGOs joined hands with Seva Bharati. Today, swayamsevaks are running over 2 lakh service projects”, he told gathering.
“Today, Sangh does regular interactions with media persons, and Sangh is openly sharing its views with them. Those who once dismissed or rejected the Sangh’s perspectives are now accepting them. The Sangh’s Sampark Vibhag has reached every corner of the country. The Sarsanghchalak today meets people from all walks of life across the nation, including political leaders, because the Sangh now aims to reach 100 percent of society. At present, the Sarsanghchalak spends nearly 100 days every year travelling and meeting people in different regions. The Sangh’s Prachar Vibhag today has a wide range of material to study and analyse; every development in the world is monitored, examined logically, and understood in depth”, he told.
“During this period, several new activities also began within the Sangh. Some initiatives are independent, but the Sangh is providing them support. The Paryavaran Sanrakshan Gatividhi, inspired by the RSS, emerged with the understanding that swayamsevaks themselves must take the lead in environmental protection and connect others to this cause. In Delhi, programmes focused on the rejuvenation of rivers are underway. The Sangh says that if others are already working on environmental issues, then we, too, should join hands and work together with them”, he said.
“The Sangh also started an activity called Kutumb Prabodhan, focused on strengthening family values”, he said.
“During COVID-19, citizens of the country tried to contribute whatever they could according to their capacity. Earlier, only the Sangh and a few organisations would give everything of themselves and work for society. It was heartening to see that this time, the common people also came forward. Lakhs of people engaged in service work. During COVID, when major gatherings were restricted, teams of the Sangh went to every locality and met people, requesting contributions for the construction of the Ram Mandir. Meetings were held, and we came to know that is difficult to raise funds during the pandemic. There were only 15 days for the campaign, and contributions had to be collected through cheques. It is so heartening that, people offered large amounts from their own, but the Sangh insisted that everyone’s contribution must be included. The estimated amount was Rs 1500 crore, but the contributions exceeded Rs 3000 crore. So far, 12 crore families have contributed, which means almost 60 crore people, nearly half of India’s population, took part in this effort. No social organisation has ever achieved this before; this happened for the first time in Bharat. When Akshat Vitran was done, once again the outreach increased further and reached 22 crore families”, he told.
“What we see today is the result of the hard work of all the Sarsanghchalaks. Today, the Sangh has 45 lakh swayamsevaks and 4,000 pracharaks, and everyone has witnessed its impact”, he said.
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