New Delhi, September 27, 2026: RSS Sarkaryavah Dattatreya Hosabale on Sunday described late Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Ashok Singhal as an ideal swayamsevak and pracharak whose life combined the hardness of a thunderbolt with the softness of a flower, as he addressed the inaugural ceremony of Singhal’s birth centenary celebrations.
Speaking after Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the event, Hosabale called the past three days deeply memorable. On September 25 he had attended the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya at his childhood memorial in Dhankya, Rajasthan. On Saturday he was in Kolkata for a programme honouring the Kothari brothers — Ram and Sharad — who were martyred during the 1990 Ram Janmabhoomi kar seva. “Today, I have been blessed with the golden opportunity to be among all of you at the inaugural ceremony of the birth centenary of the deeply revered Ashok Singhal ji,” he said.
“He was always that way — he never accepted defeat. There was never any worry in his mind about ‘how will it happen?’ He always believed, ‘It will happen; we will find a way’. Firm determination was his very nature,” Hosabale said. At the same time, Singhal possessed an innocent, child-like simplicity. “When decisions had to be made, resolve taken, or strides made forward, Ashok ji always stood firm like a thunderbolt. But when it came to empathy, service, and observing the distress and hardships of others, his heart would melt.”
Quoting the classic description of saintly souls — and verses from the Ramcharitmanas, Hosabale said Singhal’s heart was even softer than butter, melting at the sorrows of others.
Ashok Sehgal – A Triveni Sangam of Personality, Action and Leadership
Dattatreya Hosabale said that working alongside Ashok Singhal instilled two distinct virtues: fearlessness and humility. He stated that Ashok Singhal was a Triveni Sangam (confluence of three streams) of personality, constructive action, and leadership. He was a confluence of organization, struggle, and coordination. He was also a confluence of simplicity, hard work, and discipline. Revered saints and office-bearers of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh also participated in the ceremony. Mahamandaleshwar Parmanand Giri urged people to remain vigilant towards dharma and politics and called for continuous dedicated effort.
Formation of Bajrang Dal: Youth’s Resolve and the Defence of Dharma
Hosabale highlighted Singhal’s lesser-known contributions before and during his VHP years. He said that, as an RSS Pracharak in Kanpur Ashok Singhal also undertook significant work in cow service (gau seva), cow protection, and the preservation of Vedic heritage. He assembled one thousand Vedic scholars in Prayag. During the 1994 Nashik Kumbh, he brought together women Vedic reciters. When the Ram Janaki Yatra was organised and security was sought from the administration, the authorities refused.
Singhal then declared that the movement’s own youth would provide protection. This led to the foundation of the Bajrang Dal. He mobilised and prepared young people dedicated to serving dharma.Hosabale added that as the Delhi Provincial Pracharak of the RSS, Singhal organised a yatra that stretched all the way to Kanyakumari, soon after joining the Vishva Hindu Parishad.
Beyond the Ram Mandir movement, whenever any issue concerning society arose, he was always at the forefront. When a proposal emerged to drop the word ‘Hindu’ from the name of Banaras Hindu University, he strongly opposed it and successfully prevented the change.
National Yatras, Cultural Defence and a Lifetime as Ideal Swayamsevak
Ashok Singhal played a pivotal role in the Ram Setu movement, led the 1984 National Goodwill Yatra (Rashtriya Sadbhavna Yatra) in Punjab, and steered the historic Ekatmata Yatra that carried Ganga water, the holy cow and Bharat Mata portraits across the country to Kanyakumari. The Indian Express, Hosabale noted, had described the yatra as an extraordinary event that awakened the latent spiritual energy of Hindu society.As a Banaras Hindu University alumnus, Singhal successfully opposed any move to drop the word “Hindu” from the university’s name and later founded the Malaviya Mission, which continues cultural work and recently published the collected works of Mahamana Madan Mohan Malaviya.
“Revered Ashok Singhal ji lived his entire life as an RSS swayamsevak and pracharak,” Hosabale said, recalling the Sangh shakha song: “Dharma ke liye jiyein, samāja ke liye jiyein…” (Live for dharma, live for society). “He embodied every single syllable of those lines in his daily life… marked by devotion to dharma, commitment to truth, simplicity, steadfastness in struggle, and resolute purpose.”Hosabale concluded that remembering Singhal with gratitude on his birth centenary was essential so that the younger generation could draw lasting inspiration from his life of sacrifice and service.
