‘KS Sudarshan was a simple person’

Pune Mahanagar Sanghachalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Sharad alias Bapu Ghatpande, recalled former RSS chief KS Sudarshan as a down-to-earth person who got along well with children.  

Sudarshan, who was known for his strong belief in the concept of ‘swadeshi’, died in Raipur on Saturday after a cardiac arrest.

Ghatpande described Sudarshan as a great orator, who could charge up a dull atmosphere with his humour and presence of mind.

He remembered Sudarshan as someone who was always looking for ways and means to expand his intellectual capabilities.

Ghatpande first met Sudarshan way back in 1956 in Nagpur while attending a camp for third year RSS pracharaks.

Recalling a surprise visit by Sudarshan soon after the Emergency in 1977, Ghatpande said, “The Sangh was in the process of changing Yogchap, the Lejhim Theka or beats and after coming to know that I was an authority on the subject, Sudarshanji made it a point to come to my house and meet me.”

Ghatpande said that Sudarshan was the chief of All India Physical Fitness department for the Sangh and he was so meticulous in the implementation of the syllabus that it was adopted across the country in no time at all.

Recalling Sudarshan’s humility, Ghatpande said, “Once during the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha we were about to start dinner after prayers when suddenly Sudarshanji came and sat next to a swayamsevak and had dinner with us. The Sangh teaches us that all swayamsevaks are equal and he was such a firm believer of this philosophy that he used to get angry if someone touched his feet.”

Describing Sudarshan’s warm personality, Ghatpande recalled an incident when Sudarshan was in Pune for a programme and had lunch with his family. “Sudarshanji took my two-year-old granddaughter on his lap and narrated a story to her. He also made it a point to talk to every member of my family. My family will cherish this memory forever,” he said.

Sridharpant Phadke, a Sangh pracharak at Moti Baug, the RSS headquarters in Pune, narrated an incident that took place early this year.

“Sudarshanji was in Pune and visited Moti Baug where morning and evening batches of `Shakha’ (daily meeting of RSS activists) were being held. A swayamsevak was demonstrating ‘dand’ when Sudarshanji interrupted and corrected the boy. He told the pracharaks the importance of using ‘dand’ and showed them the  correct way to use it,” Phadke said.

“Despite hailing from Karnataka, Sudarshanji was fluent in Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, and English, besides languages spoken in the North East. He was aggressive and his love for fitness reflected in his thoughts as well,” recalled Phadke.