Madhavrao Sadashivrao Golwalkar, popularly known as Guruji, was the second "Sarasanghachalak" of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Early years

Golwalkar was born on 19 February 1906 at Ramtek near Nagpur, Maharashtra, and was the only surviving son among the nine children of his parents. He was the son of Sadashivrao, a school teacher and Lakshmibai. He spent his childhood in Nagpur.

Golwalkar completed his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Zoology at Banaras Hindu University. Later he became a teacher (Guruji in Hindi) at BHU, a name which stuck to him for the rest of his life. Golwalkar came in contact with the Ramakrishna Mission at Nagpur. Later on the expiry of his teaching term, ge returned to Nagpur and by 1935, completed his study of law.

On 13th January, 1937 Guruji was initiated into the Ramakrishna Order by Swami Akhandananda, a direct disciple of Shri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and gurubhai of Swami Vivekananda. Golwalkar eventually received his 'diksha' and became a sanyasi.

Involvement with the RSS

In the meantime, Bhaiyyaji Dani, a student at BHU and a close associate of RSS sarsanghachalak K. B. Hedgewar, started an RSS shakha (branch). Golwalkar joined the RSS and eventually, following a meeting with Hedgewar, went to the RSS' "Officers Training Camp" in Nagpur.

Hedgewar was deeply impressed by Golwalkar and seeing him as a potential successor, persuaded him to take a more active role in the Sangh. On his new role, Golwalkar said: “Like spirituality, organization of the Nation has also been my inclination from early days. I believe that I would be in a better position to achieve it successfully being a part of the Sangh.”. In 1939, he was appointed the Sarkaryavah (General Secretary) of the Sangh.

Hedgewar eventually died of ill health on June 21, 1940, and Golwalkar succeeded him as sarsanghachalak.

Golwalkar was the force behind formation of the organisations that comprise the Sangh Parivar, which is celebrating 2006-07 as his centenary year. His complete works are now available in different Indian languages and English.

Controversy

A controversial statement made by Golwalker was made in his book "We or our Nationhood Defined" which seemed to lend tacit support for the atrocities of Nazi Germany. He said:

"... Germany shocked the world by her purging the country of the semitic races – the Jews. Race pride at its highest has been manifested here. Germany has also shown how well nigh-impossible it is for races and cultures, having differences going to the root, to be assimiliated into one united whole, a good lesson for us in Hindusthan to learn and profit by"

However, elsewhere in his works, Golwalkar denounced antisemitism:

"The Christians committed all sorts of atrocities on the Jews by giving them the label “Killers of Christ”. Hitler is not an exception but a culmination of the 2000-year long oppression of the Jews by the Christians."

As for his views on Zionism and Israel, Golwalkar was supportive of the Zionist movement and also supported the creation of Israel as a Jewish State:

"The Jews had maintained their race, religion, culture and language; and all they wanted was their natural territory to complete their Nationality"

Death

Shree Guruji Golwalkar died of cancer on June 5, 1973in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

Notes


Golwalkar, M S (1939): We, or Our Nationhood Defined, Bharat Prakashan, Nagpur. page 12
a b MS Golwalkar, Bunch of Thoughts, Jagarana Prakashana, Bangalore, 1966, p.210
a b Elst, Koenraad (2001). The Saffron Swastika: The Notion of "Hindu Fascism" (in English). Voice of India. ISBN 8185990697.