Author: S Gurumurthy
Publication: The New
Date: December 29, 2003
URL: http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEH20031229000952&Title=Top+Stories&rLink=-97
''Guru, he is one of the rarest
politicians. A great organiser, greater than even my friend Nanaji Deshmukh.''
This is how the late Ramnath Goenka introduced Kushabhau Thakre, who was
already known to me. When I told him, I knew Thakreji, he said ''you know
him but still you do not know this.'' The man who was present at that time
was not Kushabhau. It was Nanaji Deshmukh. This was not in any distant
stone age. Just twenty years ago, in 1983.
Yes, I knew Kushabhau well. Born
in the year 1920, he left his house at the age of 20 as an RSS pracharak.
He never owned anything thereafter. Except the cause he believed in. The
cause alone owned him, no one else did. He never had a house. He lived
in suitcases. In railway compartments. In moving buses. In Delhi, he lived
in an unventilated room, in a small living space, the outhouse of the BJP
central office. He actually shared it with many. A common kitchen with
frugal food, common toilets which were shared with tens of visitors who
used to come to the party office were the other luxuries he enjoyed.
Kushabhau held critical positions
in the party. Including the most critical position of the organising secretary
of the party for a long time. Yet, from the morning he will start receiving
his party workers. At breakfast he will have some whom he had called. On
many occasions also some whom he had not called, but just landed at his
room unannounced. No one needed to get an appointment to see him. Almost
every one came with a problem, with some demand.
During elections he will receive
hundreds of ticket seeking aspirants. He will advise those who did not
deserve the ticket, ''Do not try. You will not get it.'' If they protested
he will tell them, ''Jao meri putla jalao,'' that is ''Go and burn my effigy.''
Some other party officials would be explaining to the very persons how
they tried hard for them, but how others, whom some may even name, were
against them.
The positions he occupied did not
change his lifestyle. Neither did his place of stay, or the quality of
his travel or with whom he had breakfast or lunch change. Except when he
became the president of the party - he was asked to stay in an independent
house during the tenure of his presidency. After he demitted office he
was back in the outhouse of 11 Ashok Road in New Delhi, that is, the national
headquarters of the BJP. And that is where he lived till he was moved out
a week back to hospital where he lost his battle with cancer which had
eaten almost the whole of his body. He passed away on Sunday.
Today, a man who never sought any
position in the state is being given a state funeral. He made Chief Ministers,
never believed in becoming and being one. His protege, Uma Bharati is now
the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh. Yes, a Nishkama Karma Yogi, a man
who aspired nothing in return for what he gave, is no more. It would be
a pity if the present younger leaders of the BJP are not inspired by Kushabhau.
If they think that the days of the likes of him are over. That they need
modern looking and modern minded leaders. That Kushabhaus of the Jana Sangh
days would not deliver. This is what the Congress Party did after Lalbahadur
Shastri. With the result it seeks leadership not from the party but from
the womb of the Nehru-Gandhi family. This is where they are today.
A political party is and should
be the product of political process. It has to churn out good workers from
the mass of people and leaders from workers. Shape the ordinary workers
into great leaders. Not look for a Sonia from Italy and Priyanka through
Sonia to lead. This is where a Deendayal Upadhyaya, a Kushabhau Thakre
and a Nanaji Deshmukh of the Jana Sangh made the difference. They never
sought a position for themselves, but prepared others to take them. That
is why the party is where it is today. Will the young ones in BJP realise
it? Will they emulate Kushabhau? Or make him an exception?
