Greetings, I am Dr Nitish Bharadwaj.
Around 100 years ago, Dr Hedgewar started building an organisation
that would bring unity in the Hindu community
and strengthen it.
This fuelled the establishment of the organisation
According to Dr Hedgewar,
the one who is a good son to the land of India is a Hindu.
This is 'Kesariya@100'.
It's a docu-series presented by the Zee Group.
It throws light
on the ups and downs that this organisation faced
in the past 100 years of its development.
Let's watch 'Kesariya@100'.
"One colour, one union, one mind, one vow."
"One voice, one song, one melody, one mantra."
'Victory to... - Mother India!'
"One colour, one union, one mind, one vow."
"One voice, one song, one melody, one mantra."
"One vision, one ideology, we have just one goal."
"It's our pride and honour,"
"our country dwells in our very soul."
"Your nation calls, adorn it with your love sincere."
"With faith and courage, in serving our nation, let us persevere."
"Your nation calls, adorn it with your love sincere."
"With faith and courage, in serving our nation, let us persevere."
"Kesariya!"
The Sangh was trying to unite the Hindus in Nagpur.
After the Nagpur riots, the Hindus weren't alone and weak.
This was Dr Hedgewar's achievement.
This was Dr Hedgewar's Nagpur model.
'To spread the new organisation throughout India'
'and to strengthen the way it worked,'
'money was a huge requirement.'
'How would they get the money?'
Today is Guru Purnima.
According to our traditions, we are here to offer our prayers
and give you 'guru dakshina'.
You don't need to address me as your guru.
Today, we will decide
to consider this saffron flag
as our guru.
A person can have vices.
However, a flag...
It is always pious.
From today, this saffron flag will be our guru.
On the day of Guru Purnima,
we will offer 'guru dakshina' to this flag.
This is not just money.
This symbolises our unity and dedication.
'In 1927, for the first time,'
'the social workers offered fees to the saffron flag.'
'They had collected 84 rupees and some change.'
'Impressed by the selfless dedication of the social workers,'
'more people joined the organisation.'
'The organisation started expanding rapidly.'
In 1932,
it was the month of April.
The schools and colleges had declared the summer vacation.
From the Banaras Hindu University,
a talented professor, who was loved by his students, came to Nagpur.
Dr Hedgewar was informed about it.
Where and how did these two meet?
Perhaps, destiny made them meet each other.
They met on a road in Nagpur.
'Nagpur, 1932'
Greetings, doctor.
Greetings.
Are you Madhavrao Golwalkar?
Yes, I am Madhav Golwalkar.
If possible, visit my house tomorrow or the day after.
Alright? - Okay.
'On a road in Nagpur, they were brought together'
'by destiny.'
'When destiny decides something,'
'no one can change it.'
'Hedgewar was quite impressed with this young professor.'
'With his foresight, he could see that this young man'
'could prove to be a long-term treasure for the organisation.'
'He wasn't wrong.'
'Soon, this young man made Dr Hedgewar believe'
'that he truly had the qualities of a good leader.'
'In 1934,'
'Madhav became the secretary of the Nagpur branch.'
Dr Hedgewar established the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
to provide selfless service to the nation.
This was proven during a calamity in 1934.
The Bihar earthquake was quite disastrous.
On the Richter scale, its intensity was measured to be 8.
This calamity killed 11,000 people.
The social workers of the organisation
ran rescue operations in Bihar
and provided relief to thousands of victims.
In Wardha, the organisation had set up a camp on the ground
in front of Jamnalal Bajaj's house.
There, they used to practise their daily routines
like exercise, drills, parades, lectures, band rehearsals
and many other activities.
On the other side of the same ground,
Mahatma Gandhi's camp was set up.
At that time, a worker from Mr Gandhi's camp
came to the organisation's camp.
You have to practise.
Mr Joshi, greetings.
Greetings. What can I do for you?
Mr Gandhi is coming over. - When?
At 6 o'clock.
He is welcome here.
However, why is he coming here?
He doesn't believe in our values and ideology.
I met him yesterday.
He had expressed his wish to visit the camp.
He wanted to observe our way of working and administration.
So, I invited him over. - Okay.
Oh!
Greetings, Appaji.
Greetings. Welcome to the camp.
Where is Dr Hedgewar?
No, he isn't here.
However, I can show you our various activities.
Okay. - Let's begin with paying respect to the flag.
Please come along. - Alright, let's go.
The next day, in Wardha,
Dr Hedgewar went to Mr Gandhi's ashram to meet him.
They had a lengthy conversation.
Yesterday, I visited your camp.
Yes.
It was the good fortune of our volunteers.
I regret that I wasn't there.
I think you planned this visit at the last moment.
If I knew about this,
I could have tried to be there during your visit.
In a way, it was good that you weren't there.
Since you weren't there,
I could get the right information about you.
The number of people in your camp, their discipline,
the mentality of the social workers, their hygiene...
I was impressed after seeing all this.
And yes, what I liked the most was your band.
'It was 9 pm.'
'It was too late.'
'However, after the initial conversation,'
'Mr Gandhi started speaking'
'about the organisation to Dr Hedgewar.'
'He asked him about the promotional literature'
'and the constitution of the organisation.'
'After some time, they started discussing serious topics.'
Doctor.
Your organisation is good.
As per my knowledge,
you have worked for Congress for a long time.
So, why didn't you make this organisation within Congress?
Why form one separately?
Earlier, when I was with Congress, I started working on this.
In 1920, at the convention of the Congress in Nagpur,
I was the secretary of the social workers' department.
My friend, Dr Paranjape, was its president.
Both of us tried to create this organisation under Congress.
However, we failed.
So, we created a separate organisation.
Why did you fail to create this organisation within Congress?
Did you not have enough money?
No, not at all.
It wasn't about money.
In this world, we can get many things with money.
However, money is not everything.
Here, money wasn't the issue.
It was about conscience.
Did you not find people with great conscience in Congress?
Is that what you are saying?
That is not what I mean.
There are many good people in Congress.
I was in the Congress too.
It's about the mentality.
The Congress was created with the mentality
to perform a pre-determined political job.
The programmes of Congress are scheduled around that mentality.
To complete the same,
Congress needs volunteers.
Through a self-motivated and powerful organisation,
the problems that our nation is facing
can be resolved.
Congress doesn't believe this.
For Congress, a volunteer means a person who lays out
tables and chairs during gatherings and puts them back
like a labourer, but free of cost.
This is the thinking of the leaders of Congress.
When they have this thinking,
how can they work with agility for the nation?
Okay.
That is why the organisation could not be formed under Congress.
What is your concept of being a social worker?
The one who dedicates everything
for the complete development of the nation,
that person is called a volunteer.
We are working towards creating such volunteers.
In our organisation, volunteers and leaders
are not different. - Okay.
All of us are volunteers. We are the same.
We work while keeping this in mind.
We do not believe in any kind of discrimination.
In a short span of time,
even while lacking money,
our organisation has expanded.
This is the secret behind it.
Great.
The success of your work
is inclusive of the nation's welfare.
I like this fact.
I came to know that your organisation
has a good hold in Wardha District.
Perhaps, it was possible with the help of Jamnalal Bajaj.
This is what I feel.
We don't ask anyone for financial help.
Then how do you have money to run such a big organisation?
The volunteers contribute money to run all the branches.
Once every year, they give funds to the organisation
in the form of a donation to their guru.
It pays for the yearly expenses of the organisation.
This is surprising.
Will you never accept money from anyone?
When this society feels our work is important for its development,
we will accept monetary help.
When such a situation arises,
people will provide us
with an ample amount of financial help.
We will not be hesitant to accept such financial help.
However, we have kept our day-to-day activities
dependent on the donations of the volunteers.
Okay.
It's obvious that you put in ample time in this organisation.
Then, when do you practise being a doctor?
I don't practise as a doctor.
How does your household run?
I didn't marry.
I have no family.
However, I consider
every volunteer and his family as mine.
That's why we are a family-like organisation.
Oh, you didn't get married.
Perhaps, that is why you have had this success.
I have already taken a lot of your time.
Your character and your unflinching loyalty towards your work
will help you succeed for sure.
'Perhaps, this was the first'
'and the last meeting of both the leaders.'
Another of Dr Hedgewar's meeting was talked about a lot.
This meeting was with Babasaheb Ambedkar.
They met on 12th May, 1939.
Later, it was confirmed
by Dr Ambedkar's follower, Balasaheb Salunke, in his speech.
After this meeting, Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar
visited a branch of the organisation
in Karad, Maharashtra.
It was during the time when the municipality of Karad
wanted to felicitate Dr Ambedkar with a certificate.
This function was held on 2nd January, 1940.
After the function, Dr Babasaheb
reached the local branch of the organisation.
I disagree with the organisation on a few topics.
Still, I look at the organisation with a sense of belonging.
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh was established in 1925
with a single goal to unite all the citizens of India
to protect all the mothers, cows and our nation.
For Dr Hedgewar, building the nation was his only goal.
He did not leave anyone behind
even if their ideologies were different.
Soon, the organisation expanded throughout the nation.
The situation changed as the pace of the freedom movements
increased in the nation.
The Sangh took the changed situation into consideration
and added four more subjects to its founding goals.
'We accept that the pious land of India'
'gives all of us happiness.'
'That is why, all of us will bow down to it every day'
'and be determined'
'to put our lives at stake to protect it.'
'We will always offer our prayers'
'to the Supreme Almighty'
'as an integral part of the Hindu nation.'
'By taking an oath of our commitment,'
'we will pray to the Lord to bless us'
'so that we can complete this task.'
'May God grant us great power'
'to make Bharat the epitome of magnificence, religion'
'and spirituality.'
'Also, we aim to conserve its sense of justice and reputation'
'while winning over the world.'
'O, Lord, while doing all these things,'
'please grant us the good sense to have strength,'
'politeness and modesty.'
'Through that, this difficult task will become easy.'
'Our unwavering loyalty should always shine brightly.'
The organisation decided to say all that in front of a saffron flag,
their guru, in the form of a prayer, every day.
Dr Hedgewar found the cause of the disease that plagued the nation,
but while worrying about the same, he fell ill.
He had realised the truth about his failing health.
He decided to hand over the responsibility of the Sangh
to someone else.
You need to rest a lot.
Nagpur's weather is not helping your condition. It's too hot here.
I have a suggestion.
What is it?
I think we should go to a place with moderate and pleasant weather.
I think we should go to Deolali, which is near Nashik.
I can make all the arrangements.
We have a camp going on in Nagpur.
We will leave once the camp ends.
But... - I am forcing you because it is good for your health.
You will feel the difference.
You will get well soon.
As you wish. I will go.
However...
I want someone to accompany me.
All of us will be there to take care of you.
No, I didn't mean that.
I will use my time in Deolali
to think about the future of my organisation.
Who will accompany you?
I will tell you.
Soon, I will reveal the name of that person.
Whom did Dr Hedgewar choose to accompany him?
It was Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar.
After returning from the ashram at Sargachhi,
he had become quite active.
All the social workers were mesmerised by him.
I am afraid what will happen if Madhavrao opts for an ascetic life.
What if he ignores the responsibilities of the Sangh
and returns to the ashram?
'Dr Hedgewar and Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar'
'stayed at Deolali for a month.'
'In that month, Dr Hedgewar'
'had understood Golwalkar's capability.'
Madhavrao,
you have to take up this responsibility now.
'After a year, Dr Hedgewar passed away.'
'The organisation's leadership was handed to a 34-year-old Golwalkar.'
'People used to address him as Guruji.'
'Truly, Dr Hedgewar was a man with an amazing foresight.'
'The appointment of Guru Golwalkar proved the same.'
In his 33 years of service,
Guruji expanded the Hindu organisations so strongly
that it was impossible for anyone to break apart.
During his tenure,
he had organised a magnificent meeting
on the grounds of the Red Fort. This is what the BBC had commented.
'A new star has risen on the horizon of India.'
How was that bright star
who shone his light
on the nation's politics, society and the religious policies?
We will find out in the next episode of 'Kesariya@100'.
Goodbye.
"You must come up with a new and better thinking."
"With the help of new actions and practices,"
"you must finish incomplete tasks."
"No matter how many problems we face,"
"we must move ahead with no fear."
"We must do great deeds and make our nation proud."
"Your nation calls, adorn it with your love sincere."
"With faith and courage, in serving our nation, let us persevere."
"Why do you seek a ray of light?"
"You have immense hope and courage within yourself."
"Knowledge is your weapon. You are an example of bravery."
"Dreams are your strength. Your thinking drives you."
"You can win over everything in this world."
"Knowledge is your biggest strength."
"Your nation calls, adorn it with your love sincere."
"With faith and courage, in serving our nation, let us persevere."
"Kesariya!"