usenet

Of saffron brotherhood

By Swami Chinmayanand
Op-Ed
The Pioneer
Friday, July 18, 2003

I was to learn of the sad demise of Rajju Bhaiya on July
14, 2003. It was not easy for me. The way he discharged
his important responsibilities as a teacher, pracharak,
and RSS Sarsangh Chalak, with straightforwardness and
simplicity, and inspired crores of Indians for a long
time, will always be remembered. As an individual, many
of my emotional memories are linked with him. Today it
seems quite expedient that while paying my homage to him,
I should share my experiences with the public.

Rajju Bhaiya was born in a Kshatriya family in
Bulandshahr. His father, Shri Balbir Singh, was the first
Indian to be selected for the Indian Engineering Service.
Rajju Bhaiya received his primary education in Nainital;
later, he studied in the Allahabad University. He was a
student of Physics and Atomic Science was his special
study. His post-graduation answer papers were checked by
Dr CV Raman. Dr Raman was so impressed with his answers
that he invited him to engage in research work under him.
Meanwhile, he also received an invitation for the
appointment to the post of lecturer. Instead of accepting
the proposal of research he accepted the post of lecturer
and taught in the University of Allahabad up to 1965. In
1966 he became a pracharak of the RSS.

Rajju Bhaiya always remained detached from all
materialistic pleasures and therefore wanted nothing for
himself. He used minimum possible clothes. Due to his
nature his father got a house constructed for him at
Civil lines, Allahabad, but he donated it to Saraswati
Shishu Mandir. His father and family members got the
impression that he would donate whatever would be given
to him to this or that service organisation. Therefore,
he was not given any share of his paternal property. He
always kept aloof from his family. In Allahabad he lived
in a room of the same Shishu Mandir. He spent most of his
life in the offices of the Sangh. He was never an account
holder in any bank nor did he own even an inch of land.
Simplicity of his nature and cordiality to everyone made
him a man of his own style. In spite of his sincerity and
complete dedication to the Sangh, he was liked by a large
number of people in political parties. Working for the
prestigious post of Sarsangh Chalak, he was always
cordial to all. Though physically he became sick, it
never had any effect on his mind and intellect. He
remained active till he was alive. He was always a
supporter of education, Seva, Samarvata and harmony of
thoughts. That is why all the decisions taken by him as
Sarsangh Chalak helped the Sangh to widen its scope. His
liberal thinking was widely supported. In spite of being
a scholar of physics, his expression was always lucid.

During the Ayodhya movement in 1989, when we were
arrested by the Mulayam Singh Government, Rajju Bhaiya,
Mahant Avaidynath and I were kept in the guesthouse of
Jim Corbett Park. Though Mr Yadav had made high-level
arrangements for the arrested persons, Rajju Bhaiya used
to wash and dry his clothes himself and keep them under
his pillow so that they would need no ironing. Being
diabetic, he had to take insulin, but he used to inject
it himself. Sometimes he used to prepare tea for
everyone. Often in the evening he used to go for walk. We
accompanied him up to a long distance in the forests of
Jim Corbett followed by the police. He used to laugh and
say, "Brother! We and Mahantji are old and we cannot run.
And Chinmayanand can't leave us alone. Then why are you
following us?" When constables said they were following
us to protect us from wild animals, he said, "Tigers do
live here, but you should know that tigers never attack
tigers. All three of us are tigers and we don't need any
kind of protection!"

A staunch theist, he always kept an edition of Sunderkand
Gutka, presented by Brahmachari Prabhu Dattji Maharaj,
with him, with a small picture of Lord Hanuman inside. On
November 30, 1989, when a programme of marching towards
the Ram temple was made by the karsevaks in Ayodhya, he,
in spite of being in Jim Corbett, advised me and Mahantji
to fast and read Sunderkand so that no untoward incident
took place there. When the problem of finding a copy of
Sunderkand in the forest came up, he took out his Gutka
and gave us. We read Sunderkand keeping that picture of
Lord Hanuman in front of us which he always preserved.

He was emotional to the suffering of others and regarded
it his duty to help them. Once I was travelling with him
to Bhagalpur by Vikramshila Express for the inauguration
of a Saraswati Shishu Mandir. We were travelling in an AC
coach; the lower berths were reserved for us. At night
both of us went to sleep on those berths. In the morning,
when I woke up, I saw someone else sleeping on his berth;
he was seated in a corner. When I wanted him to tell me
about the new guest, he gestured me to remain silent. It
so happened that, as per daily routine, when he woke up
at four am, he went to the toilet and felt that someone
was hanging by the door handle of the coach. It was
winter. He opened the door and saw a boy of nine or 10
shivering in the cold, somehow managing a toehold on the
steps. He asked him in and made him sleep on his birth.
On the way, he got some milk supplied from somewhere. He
woke up the boy, opened the thermos and gave him hot milk
to drink. When his followers came to meet him in Patna,
he handed over that boy to them with instructions that
after asking his address, arrangements be made to send
him to his house.

Rajju Bhaiya was not a politician. But as a person he
influenced the politics of the country more than any
other person could have in recent Indian history. He
inspired the leaders of the BJP to rise above the thesis
of political untouchability and work with the people of
parties with different ideologies in the interest of the
nation. I remember when the matter of supporting Ms
Mayawati to form a Government in Uttar Pradesh became an
issue for the first time, many senior leaders of the
party were against it. Many leaders were angry with the
BSP's slogan in which "Tilak, taraju and talwar" are
mentioned. Rajju Bhaiya said, "Sometimes convenance may
mend sacrament. It may be possible that after coming
nearer to you, the BSP may keep itself away from this
social bitterness. After all, we are all Hindus and when
we talk about Hindutva or unity of Hindus, we should give
preference to the downtrodden and the most backward."

It was Rajju Bhaiya who inspired me to contest elections.
When I tried to avoid, saying I am a saint and an
apolitical person, he said, "If Hanumanji accepted
bindings for the cause of Shri Ram, you should also
accept political bindings for the cause of the Ram
temple." He remained anxious at the time of every
election I contested and after winning one, the first
telephonic message of congratulations always came from
him. I found in him an image of father, guru and guide.
Even during his last days in illness, he was ever eager
to meet volunteers, workers and visitors. No doubt, his
body became old but his voice and views always remained
fresh.

(The writer is the Minister of State for Home Affairs,
Government of India)

Read the complete news at:
http://www.dailypioneer.com

Jai Maharaj
http://www.mantra.com/jai
Om Shanti

Panchaang for 20 Ashadh 5104, Friday, July 18, 2003:

Shubhanu Nama Samvatsare Dakshinaya Nartana Ritau
Kark Mase Krishna Pakshe Shukr Vasara Yuktayam
Poorvaprostapad-Uttaraprostapad Nakshatr Shobhan-Atiganda Yog
Gar-Vanij Karan Shasthi Yam Tithau

Hindu Holocaust Museum
http://www.mantra.com/holocaust

Hindu life, principles, spirituality and philosophy
http://www.hindu.org
http://www.hindunet.org

The truth about Islam and Muslims
http://www.flex.com/~jai/satyamevajayate

o Not for commercial use. Solely to be fairly used for the
educational purposes of research and open discussion. The contents of
this post may not have been authored by, and do not necessarily represent
the opinion of the poster. The contents are protected by copyright law
and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
o If you send private e-mail to me, it will likely not be read,
considered or answered if it does not contain your full legal name,
current e-mail and postal addresses, and live-voice telephone number.
o Posted for information and discussion. Views expressed by others
are not necessarily those of the poster.