In
The Service Of People Again
Thousands of Hindus started pouring
in from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) on account of their forcible conversion
to Islam. The Sangh, under the able stewardship of Guru, girded up its
loins for the service of the people thus rendered homeless. Guru once again
swung into swift action to supervise these arrangements of succor to the
refugees. He alerted the Government about their duty towards these unfortunate
brethren of ours and gave his guidance for the appropriate course of action
under those difficult circumstances. He appealed to the people to extend
their helping hand in
mitigation of the distress caused
by the neighboring State.
People of Delhi presented a purse of
Rs.101001/- to Shri Guru.
Shri J. A. Kurein, a journalist from
U.S.A., and Prof. Wilson from Australia came to Bharat to study the Sangh
and its working. The name and fame of the Sangh reached to the distant
corners of the world.
Guru then led a movement against cow-slaughter.
He articulated the Hindus' deeply rooted feeling towards the cow, which
has been a focal point of our culture and Dharma, in the minds of themultitudes.
The movement set a world record of 1,74,89,332 signaturescollected by fifty
four thousand Swayamsevaks from 84,000 villages and cities all over the
country.
Guru never tolerated any insult either
to the unity and integrity of the country, to Dharma and Culture, or to
the cherished beliefs of people. Narrating the story of a lion-cub that
had acquired all the sheepish traits after it strayed into a herd of sheep
for a long time and which was later on restored to its innate leonine nature
by another lion, Guru exhorted the people to stand up-right and assert
themselves once again. Guru stoutly protested against all that was inimical
to the integrity of Bharat. He opposed every act of treachery against the
nation. Due to inertia on the part of Government, China gobbled up Tibet.
There was no reaction from our Government. The Portuguese were torturing
our people in Goa, which was a part of Bharat. The Government maintained
a sullen silence. Guru cautioned the Government on all such occasions.
Guru was the first nationalist thinker to openly warn that the re-organization
of the States solely on the basis of language would do many harms to the
country.
Guru was a fountain of perennial inspiration
to thousands of Hindu youths. He was a Karmayogin. His physique was fragile.
But spiritual glow and serenity flowed from' his face. Curly locks of hair
reaching up to shoulders; a flowing beard; a broad forehead; lips hiding
behind the curved moustache; an observant pair of bright eyes; a sprinkle
of sweet smile in his talks and conversation; and often bouts of hearty
laughter too. His softly couched and aptly delivered cryptic remarks had
a drive-home quality about them. He was invariably clothed in a baggy dhoti
and loose kurta, and shawl on the shoulders. Seeing his erect chest and
fast pace with long strides, one felt tempted to call him 'a saint in a
hurry'. His pious Personality reflected the dynamism of a noble commander.
His heart emitted concentrated confidence of a thousand lions. With all
this, he shunned publicity like poison. Such was his self-effacing nature.
1956 saw the fifty-first birthday
of Shri Guru. It was celebrated in a befitting manner. On that occasion,
the Sangh workers not only arranged colorful functions, but also conveyed
the thoughts Guru held dear to his heart, to every hearth and home in the
country.
1963 was the birth centenary of Swami
Vivekananda Guru addressed a mammoth public meeting in Madras and at other
important cities. He reminded the people of the rousing call of Swami Vivekananda
to build a strong organization in Hindu Samaj, for national reconstruction.
Guru shaped the Sangh into a protective
shield and also as fighting arms of the country whenever it was confronted
with external crisis. In 1962, China betrayed Bharat. It pushed its army
into our territory. Guru gave a call to the Swayamsevaks to stand by the
Government in protecting the
nation. "Now that a powerful enemy
has attacked our nation, let us set aside our differences and be united
as an invincible force. This is the need of the time. All the people of
Bharat should stand erect as one Virat-Purusha for safeguarding the national
interests."
Millions of hearts throbbed in unison
with this call of Guru. Swayamsevak responded in full measure and stood
as pillars of support to all the governmental and social efforts in this
direction. They helped the Government in maintaining internal security
of the metropolitan cities of Delhi,
Calcutta and Mumbai. |