‘Will inspire spirit of nationalism’: BJP’s Jamal Siddiqui demands Bharat Ratna for RSS founder K B Hedgewar, writes to President

The demand coincides with the RSS’s preparations to launch its centenary year celebrations during the upcoming Vijayadashami Utsav in Nagpur on October 2, marking 100 years since it was founded by Hedgewar in 1925.

Siddiqui sought to emphasise that the RSS’s role was to “organise society and strengthen the nation” in the face of “divisionary forces”.

Seeking to underline the Sangh founder’s active participation in the freedom struggle, Siddiqui added that his adept organisational skills and vision of social cohesion made him more than eligible for India’s highest civilian honour. “This honour will not only acknowledge his personal sacrifice but also invigorate Swayamsewaks who are engaged in nation-building behind the scene,” he said.

Born on April 1, 1889, Hedgewar was “a symbol of nationalism” right from his schooling days when he had raised Vande Mataram slogans, Siddiqui said. This was followed by his joining the Anusheel Samaj and getting inspired by the thoughts and ideals of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. He was also imprisoned for sedition by the British on more than one occasion, he added.

Hedgewar’s “long term vision”, Siddiqui said, had inspired “lakhs of Swayamsewaks” to walk on the path of nationalism. “Today, the RSS is playing a leading role in education, disaster relief, social harmony and national unity. He passed away on June 21, 1940, but his thought and organisation continue to strengthen the foundation of India,” he further said.

“Given the current context, when there is a need for national and cultural unity, this step will prove to be an inspiration,” he added.

After acknowledging its foundational role in Indian nationalism, the Sangh had come in for high praise by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day address.

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