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Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Madhav Sadashivrao Golwalkar | |
|---|---|
| Place of birth: | Nagpur, Maharashtra, India |
| Place of death: | New Delhi, India |
Madhavrao Sadashivrao Golwalkar, popularly known as Guruji, was the second "Sarasanghachalak" of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
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Golwalkar was born on 19 February 1906 at Ramtek near Nagpur, Maharashtra, and was the only surviving son among the nine children of his parents. He was the son of Sadashivrao, a school teacher and Lakshmibai. He spent his childhood in Nagpur.
Golwalkar completed his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Zoology at Banaras Hindu University. Later he became a teacher (Guruji in Hindi) at BHU, a name which stuck to him for the rest of his life. Golwalkar came in contact with the Ramakrishna Mission at Nagpur. Later on the expiry of his teaching term, Shri Guruji returned to Nagpur and by 1935, completed his study of law.
On 13th January, 1937 Guruji was initiated into the Ramakrishna Order by Swami Akhandananda, a direct disciple of Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and gurubhai of Swami Vivekananda. Golwalkar eventually received his 'diksha' and became a sanyasi.
In the meantime, Bhaiyyaji Dani, a student at BHU and a close associate of RSS sarsanghachalak K. B. Hedgewar, started an RSS shakha (branch). Golwalkar joined the RSS and eventually, following a meeting with Hedgewar, went to the RSS' "Officers Training Camp" in Nagpur.
Hedgewar was deeply impressed by Golwalkar and started seeing him as his successor. Hedgewar persuaded Guruji to take a more active role in the Sangh. On being asked by some gentleman on the his new role, Shri Guruji replied, “Like spirituality, organization of the Nation has also been my inclination from early days. I believe that I would be in a better position to achieve it successfully being a part of the Sangh. Hence, I have dedicated myself to the activities of Sangh. From the point of view of the insight and practical approach of Swami Vivekananda, I think, my decision is appropriate”. In 1939, Shri Guruji was appointed as the Sarkaryavah (General Secretary) of the Sangh.
Hedgewar eventually died of ill health on June 21, 1940, and Golwalkar succeeded him as sarsanghachalak.
Golwalkar was the force behind formation of the organisations that comprise the Sangh Parivar, which is celebrating 2006-07 as his centenary year. His complete works are now available in different Indian languages and English.
A controversial statement made by Golwalker was made in his book "We or our Nationhood Defined" which seemed to lend tacit support for the atrocities of Nazi Germany. He said:
"... Germany shocked the world by her purging the country of the semitic races – the Jews. Race pride at its highest has been manifested here. Germany has also shown how well nigh-impossible it is for races and cultures, having differences going to the root, to be assimiliated into one united whole, a good lesson for us in Hindusthan to learn and profit by"[1]
However, elsewhere in his works, Golwalkar denounced antisemitism:[2]
"The Christians committed all sorts of atrocities on the Jews by giving them the label “Killers of Christ”. Hitler is not an exception but a culmination of the 2000-year long oppression of the Jews by the Christians."[2]
As for his views on Zionism and Israel, Golwalkar was supportive of the Zionist movement and also supported the creation of Israel as a Jewish State:[3]
"The Jews had maintained their race, religion, culture and language; and all they wanted was their natural territory to complete their Nationality"[3]
Shree Guruji Golwalkar died of cancer on June 5, 1973in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
| Preceded by )Keshava Baliram Hedgewar |
Sarsanghchalak of the RSS 1940 – 1973 |
Succeeded by Madhukar Dattatraya Deoras |
Sheshadri H. V.; Shri Guruji, A Life Sketch; Jalandhar, 2006
- ^ Golwalkar, M S (1939): We, or Our Nationhood Defined, Bharat Prakashan, Nagpur. page 12
- ^ a b MS Golwalkar, Bunch of Thoughts, Jagarana Prakashana, Bangalore, 1966, p.210
- ^ a b Elst, Koenraad (2001). The Saffron Swastika: The Notion of "Hindu Fascism" (in English). Voice of India. ISBN 8185990697.
- About Guruji
- Guruji Writings
- About Guruji in English, Hindi and Marathi
- Bunch of Thoughts - Compilation of Guruji's Speeches and Writings
- Was Guru Golwalkar a Nazi ?, Disowning Golwalkar’s We by Koenraad Elst
- Biography
- M S Golwalkar: 100 years of a controversial leader (Rediff.com)
| Preceded by Keshav Baliram Hedgewar |
Sarsanghchalak of the RSS 1940 – 1973 |
Succeeded by Madhukar Dattatraya Deoras |
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| Organisations | Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh · Rashtriya Sevika Samiti · Bharatiya Jana Sangh · Vishva Hindu Parishad · Bharatiya Janata Party · Bajrang Dal · Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad · Rashtriya Sikh Sangat · Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh · Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh · Hindu Students Council · Swadeshi Jagaran Manch · Durga Vahini · Seva Bharathi · Bharatiya Kisan Sangh · Balagokulam · Vidya Bharati · Bharatiya Vanavasi Kalyan Ashram |
| Major figures | K.B. Hedgewar · Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar · Syama Prasad Mookerjee · Deendayal Upadhyaya · Madhukar Dattatraya Deoras · Atal Bihari Vajpayee · Lal Krishna Advani · Rajendra Singh · Ashok Singhal · K. S. Sudarshan · Praveen Togadia · Uma Bharti · Narendra Modi · Vinay Katiyar |
| Philosophy | Hindu nationalism · Hindutva · Integral humanism · Hindu Rashtra · Ram Janmabhoomi · Akhand Bharat · Uniform civil code |
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| Ayyavazhi · Arya Samaj · Ramakrishna Mission · Gandhism · Hindutva · Sri Aurobindo Ashram · Parisada Hindu Dharma | |
| Topics | |
| Writers |
Sri Aurobindo · Ananda Coomaraswamy · Alain Daniélou · Koenraad Elst · David Frawley · Sita Ram Goel · M.S. Golwalkar · Mahatma Gandhi · Harsh Narain · Gedong Bagus Oka · The Mother · Srila Prabhupada · Raja Ram Mohun Roy · Pandurang Shastri Athavale · Ramakrishna · Dayananda Saraswati · V.D. Savarkar · Keshub Chandra Sen · Swami Sivananda · Arun Shourie · Ram Swarup · B.G. Tilak · Girilal Jain · Swami Vivekananda · Yogananda · Swami Vipulananda · Arumuga Navalar |
