Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and the party’s minority wing head, Jamal Siddiqui, has written to President Droupadi Murmu, urging her to consider conferring India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, on Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the founder of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which is celebrating its centenary.
Referring to Hedgewar as “a great freedom fighter and the architect of nation-building,” Siddiqui said India would not only acknowledge his “invaluable contribution” but also instil the ideals of nationalism among the youth by honouring him.
Born in 1889, Hedgewar joined the revolutionary front Anushilan Samiti during his days as a medical student in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Thinkers like Bagha Jatin, Prafulla Chaki, and Barindra Ghosh influenced him, and he founded the RSS in 1925 on the Vijayadasami Day.
Siddiqui said the British government arrested Hedgewar on charges of sedition and sentenced him to one year in prison for his speeches in Katol and Hinganghat in 1921. “Similarly, in 1930, in connection with the Jungle Satyagraha, he was again imprisoned for 9 months, but his resolve remained firm and he said ‘India belongs to Indians; we demand complete independence’...”
Siddiqui wrote that Hedgewar passed away in 1940, but his thoughts and the organisation he built continue to shape India’s future. “Considering Dr Hedgewar’s contribution — his direct participation in the freedom struggle, his organisational skills in nation-building, and his unifying vision for Indian society — it would be most appropriate to honour him with the Bharat Ratna. This recognition will not only validate his personal dedication but also inspire all those swayamsevaks [RSS volunteers] who have selflessly served the nation,” he wrote.
{{/usCountry}}Siddiqui wrote that Hedgewar passed away in 1940, but his thoughts and the organisation he built continue to shape India’s future. “Considering Dr Hedgewar’s contribution — his direct participation in the freedom struggle, his organisational skills in nation-building, and his unifying vision for Indian society — it would be most appropriate to honour him with the Bharat Ratna. This recognition will not only validate his personal dedication but also inspire all those swayamsevaks [RSS volunteers] who have selflessly served the nation,” he wrote.
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