Tiruvananthapuram: Thirty-eight years after the wish to have an RSS Swayamsevak as the Mayor of Tiruvananthapuram was expressed, it has finally been fulfilled. City Mayor Adv. V.V. Rajesh took part in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) Vijayadashami Path Sanchalan in Tiruvananthapuram on October 18, wearing the complete Sangh uniform (poorna ganavesh), marking a significant moment for the Sangh Parivar in the state.
“Nine months as Mayor, but 30 years as Swayamsevak,” Rajesh said, underlining his long association with the RSS. The Mayor also rendered the RSS prayer, “Namaste Sada Vatsale Matribhume”.
Rajesh said he had occupied the Mayor’s office for the past nine months but had been an RSS Swayamsevak for the past 30 years. He has participated in the Path Sanchalan every year for the past three decades without a break. He added that he would continue to take part in the annual march on the RSS’s foundation day, travelling to Tiruvananthapuram from wherever he might be to participate in the event.
Adv. V.V. Rajesh said participating in the Path Sanchalan gives him immense joy and self-confidence. He has been following the practice since his early years in the RSS and continued it during his days with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
Participating in the Path Sanchalan alongside a large number of Swayamsevaks in complete uniform, he said, gives him the energy to carry forward his responsibilities for the next year. The Sangh provides a clear sense of direction through the Path Sanchalan, he added.
The Mayor said he assumed office nine months ago and would continue to participate in the Path Sanchalan irrespective of the position he holds.
A 38-year-old wish fulfilled
Meanwhile, a social media post by BJP Tiruvananthapuram Central District President Karamana Jayan offered an interesting retrospective of the party’s history in the district, describing Rajesh’s participation as the fulfilment of a long-held wish.
Jayan recalled that the City Corporation elections were held in 1988, during the centenary celebrations of RSS founder Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar. At the time, the RSS Tiruvananthapuram Vibhag Pracharak P.P. Mukundan, popularly known as Mukundettan, a veteran RSS pracharak and former BJP state organising secretary, had put forward a wish at a workers’ meeting: “A Swayamsevak Mayor for Tiruvananthapuram.”
The wish did not materialise at the time. However, after 38 years, it has finally been fulfilled, Jayan noted.
With Mayor Adv. V.V. Rajesh taking part in the Vijayadashami Path Sanchalan in poornaganavesh, the long-held wish has become a reality. Jayan described it as a proud moment for the entire Sangh family and expressed his sincere gratitude to the voters of Tiruvananthapuram for making the achievement possible.
