Author: R. K.
Sinha
Publication: BJP-Today
Date: August 2, 2000
Soft-spoken and a man
of many parts, who has been evincing keen interest in social, educational
and literary activities since his scholastic days, Shri Bangaru Laxman
was born on March 17, 1939 in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh to Shri Bangaru
Narasimha and Smt. Shivamma.
Attracted by the nationalist
movement, launched during the second freedom struggle which liberated Hyderabad,
Shri Laxman joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in 1951, even before
entering his teens.
He did his matriculation
from the Government High School, Nampalli and graduated from the Evening
College. He obtained his LL.B degree as a student of the Law College,
Osmania University.
He had a stint in the
Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Board in 1958 before switching over to
the Indian Railways in 1962. Three years later, he left the Railways
to join the Accountant General's office in Andhra Pradesh. He was
not destined to continue in government service for long. He resigned
from even that post in 1969 when he opted to be a full time political worker.
An ardent trade unionist,
he took active part in the trade union movement and was elected the President
of the Employees' Associations of the Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd., Nuclear
Fuel Complex, Food Corporation of India, Singareni Collieries, Meters Factory
and the Midhani.
Between 1970 and 1976,
he was a Member of the Osmania University Senate, having been elected from
the Graduates' constituency.
Shri Laxman was a Member
of the High-Powered Indian delegation which accompanied the President of
India on a visit to the USA, Peru and Brazil in 1998.
Shri Laxman was the President
of the All India BJP Scheduled Caste Morcha for seven years. He is
also National Vice President of the BJP. He was imprisoned for about
a year and half during Emergency. He was Secretary of the Andhra
Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janasangh between 1973 and 1977 and Secretary
of the Janata Party, Andhra Pradesh in 1978 before becoming the Convenor
of the A.P. unit of the newly-formed Bharatiya Janata Party in 1980.
He was its General Secretary between 1980 and 1985 and the President between
1986 and 1988.
Shri Bangaru Laxman was
a Member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council from 1985 until it was
abolished in 1986. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat
in April 1996 and in October 1999 was inducted into the Union Council of
Ministers as Minister of State in the Ministry of Planning and Programme
Implementation. In November 1999, he was made Minister of State in
the Railway Ministry.
Shri Bangaru Laxman has
a flair for writing and has contributed innumerable articles in Telugu
language to Sharda, Sadhana, Jagriti, Jan Sandesh, Krishna Patrika, Andhra
Prabha, Andhra Bhoomi; and in Hindi to Panchajanya and in English to Organiser.
Besides the USA, Peru
and Brazil, Shri Laxman has visited Malaysia and Singapore, too.
Married to Sushila in
1971, the couple have three daughters and a son.