Modi's mentors: Vanikar who fought against conversions

In this chapter of his book Jyotipunj_, Narendra Modi writes about the founder of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Gujarat. Dr Vishwanath Vanikar quickly made the VHP a popular and public-funded organisation, and worked in the tribal areas, resisting conversions._ The Vanikars were one of Ahmedabad’s leading families. It could be said that they were entwined into the old clans that owned mills. Shri Anantrao Vanikar was an engineer by profession, having got his education roughly a century ago. His family was from Nashik in Maharashtra but had settled in Ahmedabad for generations, living in the Bhau-ni Pol area. Vishwanath Varnikar was his only child. Though the father was an engineer, the son had always wanted to be a doctor. He was tall and cut a striking figure. He studied medicine in London and returned home, becoming the first pathologist in Gujarat. Fifty years ago, a doctor had great respect in society, especially one with a degree from Europe. It isn’t difficult to imagine what it would do to one’s ego to be regarded by society in such fashion, especially in one’s youth. But Dr Vanikar was different. He went around on a cycle and that should tell you something about him. Because of his qualities, he was asked to handle the newly built LG Hospital run by the municipal corporation. He took on this responsibility, concentrating especially in the eastern parts of the city, where the mill labourers lived. His belief was that such service was akin to religious devotion, not merely a profession. He must have served lakhs of patients in his life. This man, who gave injections to lakhs, had one most painful episode in his life. It disturbed him all the time. His mother was unwell, and she was about 90. He treated her and so this man who, as I said had injected lakhs of people, had to inject his mother. [caption id=“attachment_1369819” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Narendra Modi. AFP.[/caption] He did this, but the son in him eclipsed the doctor. His hand trembled. And so the area where the needle penetrated was damaged and turned septic. Dr Vanikar suffered more from this than his mother did. She passed away and he was never able to forget this and would be overwhelmed whenever he brought it up. Dr Vanikar had been an RSS Swayamsevak since his childhood. His family had connections to many in the Sangh, including Guruji Golwalkar himself. At a time when the RSS was quite an ordinary institution in Gujarat, Dr Vanikar introduced many people to it. Often he was asked to take a senior position in the RSS in Gujarat but he would always decline. Not only that, he would find someone more suitable for the position and recommend this person in his stead. This - the act of declining office and finding someone else - continued through his life. The day he was free from his responsibilities at LG Hospital, he threw himself fully into social service. To unite Hindu society, to remove untouchability, to make the Hindu proud of his traditions and his saints, these were now his causes. If you want to look for the man who truly founded the Vishwa Hindu Parishad in Gujarat, you should do no more than look at. Dr Vanikar. In the true sense of the word, he sacrificed himself for the VHP. The institution was nowhere in those days, 30 years ago, and ran a two-page periodical called Vishwa Hindu Samachar. As I’ve said, Dr Vanikar was highly regarded among the city’s elite families. It wouldn’t have been difficult for him to raise money from them to run the VHP. But he chose instead to get the ordinary citizen to associate himself with the body. He started a donation box drive. Shopkeepers would stock copies of the newsletter and the donation boxes. Customers who gave some money were to be gifted the newsletter. Of course often the shopkeepers didn’t want to get into this responsibility. Dr Vanikar would personally go and convince them - saying that even if five rupees came in a month, it would be worth it. He was able through his efforts to set up 5000 such donation boxes across Gujarat’s towns and cities. A massive network was thus created to spread the VHP’s message. Donation boxes now also began to come up near temples. The VHP began to be funded by these two-anna and four-anna contributions of ordinary citizens. This may all seem like simple work but it took enormous effort from Dr Vanikar. The VHP was born in 1964 but in only five short years, Dr Vanikar ensured it was known in every corner of Gujarat. By 1974 he was ready to have a massive VHP gathering in the state. This happened successfully in the town of Siddhpur. For the first time, Gujaratis got a taste of Hindutva and the sight of sants and mahants of every sect gave their blessings. Guruji Golwalkar had been ill with cancer then but even so he came to the function and gave his directives. Thus it came to be that in only five or seven years the VHP became a part of Gujarati life. Through all of this Dr Vanikar lived as a saint. The VHP’s success and his role in it never dazzled him nor did it ever satisfy him. He was always thinking of how he could be of service. In the famine of 1972-73, he turned to serving the Adivasis. He worked in Sabarkantha’s Pal, Chitariya, Bhiloda, Khedbrahma and Vijaynagar areas.  Three days a week, his tent was guaranteed to be among them, and he took his mill-owner friends along for them to experience the tribal situation as well. His efforts were quite special. He ran a centre distributing buttermilk in one place, free food in another, clothes in a third place. It would be difficult to imagine an England-educated doctor living in this fashion in the midst of tribals. In the Pal-Chitariya area, he built a residential school and an agricultural school for the tribals. These institutions impart culture and knowledge to the tribals to this day. During his time with the tribals, Dr Vanikar was struck by how vulnerable they were to relgious conversions. And so he now began fighting against this. Dr Vanikar was a simple man. Things that an Awliya or a Fakir would be associated with, you could find in him. He did not flinch from hard work, no matter what age he was. Till the end, he put in his daily rounds of Suryanamaskars. He would think nothing of traversing miles in the tribal countryside. He had one old car, which he drove himself. When he was tired or sleepy, he would pull over and sleep soundly by the side of the road without anything underneath. Everyone who travelled with him has had these experiences. His other contribution was through a magazine he published, as a trustee, called Sadhna. It took up the battle against Indira Gandhi’s Emergency. This was intolerable to the Congress and Sadhna’s proofreader, editor and trustee were all jailed under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act. Now Dr Vanikar knew many people in high places who were aghast that a man like him was in jail. They tried to get him out. But Dr Vanikar refused. He said he would stay in till democracy had been returned, and he did. The RSS headquarters in Gujarat, Hedgewar Bhavan, stands because of Dr Vanikar’s efforts. At the age of 73, Dr Vanikar could be found in the jungles of Dediapada among the tribals. One night, returning from there, a Matador crashed into him on the highway near Bharuch. He was killed.  Today’s generations may not find his name familiar. But in the jungles of Gujarat, his fragrance is spread among the tribals. And so he is an inspiration to all of us.