Modi's Mentors: Keshavrao Deshmukh, who revamped RSS in Gujarat

Narendra Modi writes here about the RSS image-changer in Gujarat. Keshavrao Deshmukh helped the body move on from its fuddy-duddy image and put a new generation of young Swayamsevaks (including Modi) in charge. Deshmukh died in Modi’s lap, as the chief minister recounts here. The RSS is an eight-decade old institution focussed on character-building. It is enough for a human to become humane, that is the mantra adopted. In some ways, the RSS is an open university that has run for these eight decades and become an institution. One that weighs national interests in everything it does. But even in an institution with a base and with abilities and organization, performance is determined by leadership. The RSS in Gujarat had already been established and its base built over three or four decades when Keshavrao Deshmukh took charge as Prantpracharak. This is a crucial position, and Deshmukhji’s tenure shaped the body in the state. The expansion of the RSS’s work to touch all parts of society was his achievement. The other thing was putting in place a new team of those aged between 30 and 50, and to change the RSS’s image as being fuddy-duddy. [caption id=“attachment_1413177” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Narendra Modi has high regard for Keshavrao Deshmukh. Agencies.[/caption] He was a man in a hurry, and he passed away in a hurry. He was about to turn 60 when he left us. His family in Kashi had been preparing the ceremony for his 60th birthday for a year. The RSS chief Balasaheb Deoras had agreed to come and there was excitement in the community of Pandits in Kashi. In Gujarat, many like me were looking forward to the event. Only days remained, when he passed away. He was born in 1921, sharing his birthday (on Chaitra-Sud 1) with Dr Hedgewar. Coincidentally, the day he died was Guruji Golwalkar’s birthday. Baroda’s Swayamsevaks had gathered to celebrate this event with music and Sangh-geet in the city’s Gandhinagargruh. Vakilsaheb Lakshmanrao Inamdar had come especially from Mumbai for this event. Baroda had remained in Deshmukhji’s charge a long time and we were all elated. Immediately after the event, we left the venue in a jeep. Vakilsaheb and Nathabhai Jhagda sat in the back. Deshmukji sat in front, with me driving. We were to having dinner at the America-returned Subhashbhai Mehta’s house. We had been driving 20 or 25 minutes, and were at the turn to Subhashbhai’s society when Deshmukji’s body fell into my lap. That cold touch… like a block of ice in my lap. “Deshmukhji… Deshmukhji” I shouted a few times, shaking him while still driving. But nothing. We reached the house in a couple of minutes and a doctor arrived, who declared him dead. It was such a devastating blow to those who had gathered for the function, a happy event. For me, this is the first instance I witnessed death come to someone in front of me. Striking like lightning. I understood for the first time the transitory nature of life. And the idea that life was uncertain but death was certain. Deshmukji was organised in his life. He was born in Kashi, in a scholarly family. He spent a lot of his years in Surat, and so this Pandit from Kashi had the eating habits of a Surti Lala. We Gujaratis have a saying - Suratnu jaman ane Kashinu maran (Life is eating in Surat and a death in Kashi). This man, who moved from the banks of the Ganga in Kashi to the banks of the Sabarmati in Gujarat, was a great friend of Surti food. He was neat and also very particular about the way he lived. And he lived, though Marathi, like a proper Gujarati. In his eating, his manner of speaking, his way of living - 100 per cent Gujarati in character. In the RSS, we have to do all the work ourselves, including washing our own clothes. Deshmukhji was allegic to soap, which made him break out into boils, but he persisted in washing his clothes, till at last a doctor convinced him this was harmful. He was also allergic to the smell of sheera (Suji halwa) and Swayamsevaks travelling with him were always mindful of this. He was, as I said, entirely Gujarati in how he dressed, spoke and in his habits. Because of this, he was able to connect with many workers, and able to spread the mission of the RSS rapidly in the state. His talent was having multiple sources of information, and the latest news. He was in touch with all sorts of people, and not just from the Sangh. Staying in touch with people and traveling - these are the two things needed for Sangh work, and he was peerless in these. In 1945, he quit his job and landed in Surat. He would meet two people today, four tomorrow and slowly expanded his circle. He went to schools during recess and interacted there. He would attract children to himself with his playfulness and their parents with his words and his manner. It didn’t take him long to get going, and soon Surat was a buzzing hub of Sangh activity. He was then given charge of all of South Gujarat and relocated to Baroda. Even on his travels, he was like a mobile RSS school. He would interact with one Karyakarta between stations. The man would get off and another would board the train and so in a journey of five hours, Deshmukhji would have detailed and meaningful interaction - one-on-one - with five people. Their conversation would be about personal matters, about work and about expansion. His saying was - A job for every man and the right man for every job. He tried hard to put this into effect. He was open to suggestions from the Swayamsevaks and their families, and he inspired many to do great work with his own suggestions. The RSS in Gujarat will forever remember Deshmukji. When 35000 Rupees was a lot of money, Gujarat raised Rs 35 lakh for a cause. This happened in February 1981, when news came of the conversion of Dalits in Minakshipuram. The RSS began an awareness program for the upliftment of Dalits and tribals and 35 lakh was the contribution of Gujarat to this cause, which helped to spread the message across India. He took up work which would show its results five or 10 years later, rather than immediately, a far-sighted man. The Janasangh (BJP) program through the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad in Surat city and district, Baroda city and district and the Panchmahals are witness to his work. In 1973-74’s Navnirman agitation and then in the Emergency, he resisted the Congress. In this time he was Prantpracharak, and took care of those who had been jailed, and their families, who were in economic trouble. He also threw himself into relief work when on August 11, 1979, the Morbi dam broke and killed thousands. He arranged for the burning of many dead bodies, human and animal, which had been rotting. Work in the RSS is really organised. The year’s events, schedules, travel (even of junior functionaries) is all done according to plan. Deshmukhji’s challenge was how to introduce something fresh and lively into this at all times. He brought in enthusiasm, and he spent a long time - often 8 to 10 months - thinking about execution. We are lucky if we have one talent, but he had many. For spreading the RSS message, he modernised the office and press of the magazine ‘Sadhna’, which was hitherto produced on a treadle press. Remarkably, he was able to facilitate the takeover of the Panchsheel Co-operative Bank in Surat by a group of Karyakartas, and then turned into a fine institution. He was Prantpracharak only a decade or so, but in this short period, he transformed the RSS in Gujarat by ensuring a new generation had taken charge at every level. Many workers, whom we might consider junior, rose to positions of responsibility because of him. To bring about such a transformation is difficult, and he was able to do this in a short period. His family had given its all to the RSS, and its members competed among themselves on who had sacrificed most for the Sangh. This great man, from this great family, passed away on 2 March, 1981.