FRAGRANCE OF IDEAS
It was in 1974 that this author got introduced to Shri Bhagwat Swaroop ji at the famous Ganpatyar temple in Srinagar-Kashmir. After attending the daily Shakha at historic Sheetalnath-Srinagar in the evening hours, a group of swayamsevaks decided to go to the Ganpatyar temple for the darshan of the deity there. Bhagwat Swaroop ji was already there along with two other senior swayamsevaks waiting for some important person. We met there with Bhagwat ji, as he was called lovingly and respectfully by all, and got introduced to him.
I came to know that he was a senior RSS pracharak and was the Organising Secretary of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) in Jammu & Kashmir state. BJS is the original incarnation of Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) which was later merged into Janta Party in 1977 consequent upon the formation of Janta Party government at the Centre in 1977. Bhagwat ji played a great and formidable role in the establishment and growth of BJS in Jammu and Kashmir.
He actually belonged to Bhanga Khatkal Kalan in the erstwhile district of Jalandhar in the undivided Punjab. Bhagwat ji was born on 22nd May 1925. He was from a well to do family and his father was called Lalaji in his family and the vicinity in which they resided. Bhagwat ji came into an association with the RSS during his childhood days.
Bhagwat ji was good at his studies and passed his graduation during the partition days. In 1947, immediately after the independence of the country, Bhagwat ji conveyed his intense desire of coming out as the pracharak of RSS to his parents. It took some time for him to convince his family and ultimately was allowed to do so by the family in 1948. He was sent to Jammu in 1949-50 by the RSS leadership to do the Sangh work in Jammu region.
It was in Jammu that he came into close contact with Pandit Prem Nath Dogra, Balraj Madhok, Kidar Nath Sahni, Dr. Om Prakash Mengi, Makhan Lal Harkar, Sham Lal Sharma, Rishi Kumar Kaushal and Chaman Lal Gupta -the veterans of those times. He got involved in the Praja Parishad movement and was instrumental in carrying the message of the movement to the far flung areas of the Jammu region. He also came into contact with RSS functionaries in Kashmir wherefrom a band of 12 swayamsevaks had joined the Praja Parishad movement as full-timers. Together, they made a great difference and took the movement to all corners of the state.
When the Praja Parishad movement was at its peak in 1952-53 and got the support of BJS and its top leader, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, it became a force to be reckoned with. The whole establishment at the Centre and particularly in the state under Sheikh Abdullah decided to crush the movement. They forcibly lifted the protesters who were on their hunger-strike for two to three weeks and took them all to their homes. They were forcibly fed there by the government officials but the protesters refused to take anything. It was in such circumstances that Bhagwat ji played a key role and contributed to the movement under the able leadership of Pandit ji.
When Praja Parishad was later merged into the BJS in 1953 consequent upon the dismissal of the Sheikh government and the tragic death of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee in Gulmarg jail, Pandit Prem Nath Dogra was elected the President of BJS at the national level. It was here that he wanted Bhagwat ji to continue to work for BJS in Jammu and Kashmir state and prevailed upon the RSS leadership to depute him to the BJS and got their approval immediately. Thus Bhagwat ji remained in the BJS for around twenty five years up to the formation of the Janta Party in 1977.
It was in 1977 that he was assigned the RSS work directly as the Vibhag Pracharak of the Kashmir valley and Ladakh. Utpal Kaul, a senior RSS swayamsevak of Kashmir, who knew Bhagwat ji from 1969-70, recalls that it was Bhagwat ji who revived RSS in the Kashmir valley along with the team of other important swayamsevaks after the dark days of Emergency. He inspired a lot of swayamsevaks in Kashmir to come out as Pracharak and Vistarak. This author is also among those a few persons whom he inspired to be a Pracharak of RSS in 1978. He had an enormous impact on my mind due to his simplicity, gentle behavior and soft-spokenness.
During the time of Bhagwat ji as the Vibhag Pracharak, Kashmir & Ladakh Vibhag, the Sangh work made deep inroads into all districts of Kashmir and Ladakh. Besides RSS, a lot of work related to the BJP and VHP also found their roots at maximum places in the entire Vibhag. This author was assigned the responsibility of Hindu Yuvak Forum in the Kashmir valley to organise youth and students under the banner of HYF, which was successfully done under the guidance of Bhagwat ji.
He used to live at the residence of the proprietor of Kohli Furnishers at M.A. Road in Srinagar before Sangh opened its office at 14, Wazir Bagh, Srinagar also. He had developed a wonderful relationship with the families of the swayamsevaks throughout Jammu and Kashmir. People in general and swayamsevaks in particular had a great respect and regard for Bhagwat ji in their minds.
In 1984, Bhagwat ji was given the responsibility of General Secretary (Organisation), J&K-BJP and he thus shifted to Jammu. However, he kept touring the whole J&K state and especially Kashmir valley. He performed his duties in the same capacity up to 1996 efficiently and effectively.
Bhagwat ji’s 60th birthday was observed at Veer Bhawan, Raghunathpura, Jammu in a befitting manner. On the occasion, a Hawan was also organised which was attended by a large gathering of Swayamsevaks followed by a ‘Sah-Bhoj’. I was fortunate to attend it on 22 May 1985. Shri Indresh ji, the then Sambhag Pracharak (J&K), was instrumental in initiating the process in this regard. The participants felt happy to be a part of the serene ceremony dedicated to the great contributions of Bhagwat ji.
He lived in Jammu in the post-exodus period of the Hindu community of Kashmir. Exodus and ethnic cleansing disturbed peace of his mind and he would express himself freely about the failures of the government and also of the nation-state in this regard. In the concluding years of the 20th century, his health issues crept up slowly and steadily due to old age.
During his last days, he would be living with his sister’s son at Rohini, Delhi where he breathed his last in 2018. Shradhanjali programmes were organised at various places like Jammu, Delhi and Jalandhar as a tribute to his memories. A number of dignitaries spoke on the occasion in the Shradhanjali programmes at various places. In Delhi, at Deen Dayal Shodh Sansthan, Indresh Kumar Ji, Rajkumar Bhatia, Utpal Kaul and a number of prominent persons expressed their inner feelings about Bhagwat ji and spoke very highly of him on the basis of their relations and experiences in regard to Bhagwat ji.
People continue to remember all his contributions which he made throughout his life towards the society and the nation. Seldom comes a soul like Bhagwat Swaroop ji to this world to inspire and guide us. May the Almighty bestow Shanti and Sadgati upon his pious and noble soul.
Bharat Mata ki Jai…..!
(The author is a senior BJP and KP leader, human rights defender, author and columnist and can be reached at: [email protected])
