New Delhi : After projecting late Jana Sangh leaders Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Deendayal Upadhyaya as the national icons by naming a score of schemes in their names, the Centre is now all set to portray second RSS chief M S Golwalkar, the “ideological mentor” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as a great philosopher and a champion of the “robust nationalism.”
Guru Golwalkar’s views on dharma, nation and “Hindu Rashtra” that were so far confined to the RSS shakhas (camps) will be soon discussed at an official seminar to be organised by the Indian Institute of Public Administration, a central institute, and sponsored by the Centre-run Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR). Topic of the seminar is: “Nation and Nationalism in the thoughts of Shri M.S. Golwalkar.”
Modi has not only hailed Golwalkar – known as Guruji – as his ideological mentor, but he has also written an adulatory book, Jyoti Punj in Gujarati on 16 eminent persons who had inspired him. One of the essays, “Pujniya Shri Guruji (Revered Shri Guruji)”, is on Golwalkar and is the longest in the book.
An ICPR concept note seeking papers from scholars for the seminar describes Golwalkar – who headed the RSS for over 30 years till 1973 – as a champion of “robust nationalism” and says the event aims to put his views in proper perspective since he has been much misunderstood and maligned by adversaries. His views on “nation and nationalism are to be understood in a holistic way and in the light of the present-day scenario”, the note adds.
