Nanaji Deshmukh died at the age of 94. Till his death he was an RSS pracharak,a full timer. Very few have possessed the kind of extroverted attitude and dynamism that Nanaji had. He had toured the length and breadth of the country. He was among those who established the Bharatiya Jana Sangh. Most people with his background remained confined to a limited group but Nanaji always endeavoured to step out. He was on first name terms with leaders of other political parties,industry,media,and civil society activists. He never hesitated to speak his mind even if they were critical of the political organisation of which he was a member. He had the ability to raise his voice,unrestrained by partisan thinking and motivated by the national interest.
I first met Nanaji when I was a college student. He used to live in a penthouse in the Deendayal Research Institute. He was the key organisational functionary of the Jana Sangh. He maintained a skeletal staff and used his resourcefulness to establish the institute. His own needs were limited. His home was flooded with visitors. As a student I used to visit him regularly during the 1973-75 period,before the Emergency. He had accompanied JP during the massive demonstration in Patna. He obstructed a lathi assault on JP,injuring his own arm. He was the key person in the organisation of the JP movement. He enjoyed JPs confidence,worked in close contact with JPs associates in the Sarvodaya movement and Gandhi Peace Foundation. JPs close friends like Ramnath Goenka,Ganga Saran Singh and Nanaji guided the movement. Together they mobilised the entire non-Communist Opposition in support of JP.
In jail I found a wonderful human being in him. He was relaxed,read extensively,analysed the political situation. He became friendly with even some Left-oriented detenus. He was even sending words to his colleagues outside to lend financial support to the families of some Left activists who were lodged with us in jail. It was in jail that I discovered his passion for good food.
Nanaji entered the Lok Sabha in 1977 but declined Prime Minister Morarji Desais offer to be a cabinet minister. He wanted to work for the organisation. He continued to be a key organiser of the Janata Party. The failure of the Janata Party experiment and break up of the Janata Party substantially disheartened him. He was disillusioned. He then took the world by surprise when he announced that was giving up politics at the age of sixty. Most others thought he would be persuaded to reconsider his decision. He stuck to his decision and never looked back at politics from the day he turned sixty. In addition to Deendayal Research Institute,he spent the next 34 years of his life creating institutions for rural reform,ideal villages,educational centres in Gonda,Balrampur and Chitrakoot. He inspired many to contribute in this endeavour. He impacted the life of thousands in the area he worked. In 1999,I watched him again for six years as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha. All his interventions were non-partisan and statesman-like.
Nanaji had an unusual dynamism. This was tempered with a sense of idealism. He practiced what he proclaimed. He cultivated and nurtured many a relationship throughout his life. Even today there are thousands of civil society activists,political workers,businesspersons,professionals,and industrialists who valued his relationship. His ability to endear himself to people who looked up to him for advice and guidance was immeasurable. Nanaji is no more. The institutions he created,the friends and admirers he left behind will continue to be inspired by him.
The writer is a BJP MP in the Rajya Sabha
