Mahatma Gandhi was pleased with the discipline and order of the Sangh.
You have been a Congress worker. Then why was the volunteer command not formed under the Congress itself? On 26 December 1934, Mahatma Gandhi had asked this question to Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, the founder of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. His answer was, “Congress has basically been formed to achieve a political goal. It needs such unpaid workers for its programs, who will do the work of setting up chairs and benches in meetings and conferences.”
A day before this meeting, Mahatma Gandhi had spent one and a half hour in the Wardha camp of the Sangh and was impressed by the system and discipline there and expressed his eagerness to meet Dr. Hedgewar. Read some incidents related to the contact of Gandhiji and the Sangh on the occasion of the death anniversary of Dr. Hedgewar.
When Mahatma Gandhi reached the Sangh camp
In those days Mahatma Gandhi was staying in Sevagram near Wardha. There was a Sangh camp just in front of his residence, in which fifteen hundred volunteers were involved. The activities of the camp aroused curiosity in the mind of Mahatma Gandhi. He expressed this to Secretary Mahadev Desai. Desai wrote a letter to Sangh’s Appaji Joshi. Immediately Appa ji met Mahatma Gandhi and invited him to come to the camp at his convenience.
Mahatma Gandhi.
It was Mahatma Gandhi’s silent day. He wrote in agreement on a piece of paper, “I will come tomorrow morning and spend one and a half hours there.” Next morning on 25 December 1934, he reached the camp at the appointed time. Quoting H.V. Seshadri, Arun Anand has written in his book “5 Sarsanghchalaks” that Mahatma Gandhi was accompanied by Mahadev Desai, Meera Ben and some other people.
Gandhi was pleased with the discipline and order
As soon as Mahatma Gandhi entered the camp, the volunteers saluted him collectively. The arrangement of the well-equipped and disciplined camp impressed Gandhiji a lot. Patting Appa ji Joshi on the back, he had said, “I am very happy. Such a scene had never been seen before anywhere in the country.” Mahatma Gandhi was shocked by the news of food being prepared for fifteen hundred people in one kitchen without any noise and at a cost of only one rupee for each and the volunteers themselves bearing the expenses.
He also visited the camp of sick volunteers. Mahatma Gandhi asked many questions to these volunteers who were living together without discrimination and with mutual affection. The answer was the same that there is no separation or discrimination among themselves in the Sangh.
Dr. Keshav Baliram Hedgewar.
There is no place for discrimination and untouchability in the Sangh.
The volunteers had told Mahatma Gandhi that we did not know the caste of our comrades and we did not even want to know it. There is no untouchable here. It is enough for us that we are all Hindus. Surprised Mahatma Gandhi had told Appa ji, it seems almost impossible that we can eliminate the disease of untouchability from our society. How is the Sangh making this possible?
Appa ji had told Mahatma Gandhi, “The feelings of high and low, untouchability and untouchability can be eliminated only by creating unity among the Hindus. Only then will brotherhood be seen not just in words but in true practice. The Sangh is able to do this, the credit for this goes to Dr. Hedgewar. When the time of the meeting came, Mahatma Gandhi stood with Appa ji and saluted the flag as per the tradition of the Sangh. While inspecting the stores of the camp, Mahatma Gandhi’s attention was drawn to Dr. Hedgewar.” Went towards Chitra and said that he would like to meet him.
Gandhi’s question, why created a separate institution?
Doctor Hedgewar had to reach Wardha the next day to inspect this camp. On the evening of 26 December 1934, Dr. Hedgewar went to meet Mahatma Gandhi. Appa ji Joshi and Bhopatkar were with him. He talked to Mahatma Gandhi for more than an hour. Arun Anand wrote about this conversation in his book, “Doctor ji, your organization is admirable. I am aware of the fact that you have been a Congress worker for many years. That being so, why did you not form a volunteer command within a popular organization like the Congress? Why did you form a separate organization?
Dr. Hedgewar’s reply was, “It is true that I worked in the Congress. I was also the Secretary of the Swayamsevak Dal during the session of 1920. My friend Dr. Paranjape was the President. Both of us together tried to form a Swayamsevak Command within the Congress. But our efforts could not succeed. Therefore, an independent organization had to be formed.”
Hedgewar said there is a need for people to put chairs and benches there!
Mahatma Gandhi wanted to know the reason for the failure. Is it because of lack of money? Dr. Hedgewar’s answer was, “No – no, there was no shortage of money. Money can be of good help. But all the work cannot be done with money alone. The problem we had was not of money. It was of attitudes.”
Mahatma Gandhi wanted to get to the bottom. While replying the question, he had asked whether there is a shortage of kind-hearted people in the Congress or whether they do not exist at all? Dr. Hedgewar had said that there are capable people there but the dispute is about attitude. Congress has basically been formed to achieve political goals. For its programs, it is looking for unpaid workers who will help in setting up chairs and benches in meetings and conferences. To solve the problems of the nation, Dr. Hedgewar had expressed the need for such a big and disciplined organization in which volunteers come forward to serve the country and not just at someone’s request.
How are the expenses of the association raised?
Mahatma Gandhi had also expressed his curiosity to Dr. Hedgewar regarding the arrangements for the expenses of the Sangh. He had also asked this question a day earlier in the Sangh camp. Dr. Hedgewar’s answer was also the same, “The volunteers themselves bear this burden. The contribution of each of them is in the form of Gurudakshina.” Mahatma Gandhi’s next question was, “It seems that all your time is devoted to the work of the Sangh, so how are you able to do your medical profession?” The answer was that I have not made medicine my profession. Then how do you run your family? The answer was – I am not married.
Mahatma Gandhi was shocked. Said, “Well, you are not married. Very good. That shows how you have achieved significant success in such a short period of time.” Dr. Hedgewar had left with the hope that with the blessings of Mahatma Gandhi, the efforts of the Sangh would be successful.
Mahamana’s money collection offer rejected
Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya had also questioned Dr. Hedgewar regarding the arrangements for the expenses of the Sangh. On his visit to Nagpur, Mahamana, impressed by the work of the Sangh, had told Dr. Hedgewar, “People call me a royal beggar. If you agree, I would be happy to collect money for you too.” Politely declining the offer, Dr. Hedgewar had described the blessings of an elder like him as sufficient. Mahamana, impressed by the reply, responded, “
Many organizations talk about money first. Then let’s talk about people. You are the exact opposite of them. Wherever I go from now on, I will tell people about this quality of yours.” In reality, Dr. Hedgewar wanted to keep the Sangh free from the pressures of any financial assistance. To meet the financial needs of Sangh work, in 1928 he started the tradition of Gurudakshina by volunteers in front of the saffron flag. A total amount of eighty-four rupees was received in the first Guru Dakshina. Even today the Sangh is being financed only through Gurudakshina money.
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