OPINION | Rajju Bhayya: Architect of RSS's growth and ideological expansion

Rajju Bhayya was the first Sarsanghchalak who had not worked with the organisation’s founder, Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar

Professor Rajendra Singh, popularly known as ‘Rajju Bhayya’, was one of the most understated RSS Sarsanghchalaks. A professor of Physics, he joined the RSS in the early 1940s and became a full-time Pracharak in 1966 after quitting his job at Prayagraj University.

As a Sarkaryavah (General Secretary) in the 1980s, he played a key role in steering the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. It was during his tenure as Sarsanghchalak (1994–2000) when the Sangh’s ideological mentee, the Bharatiya Janata Party, formed a coalition government at the Centre and rapidly expanded its footprint across the country. The RSS and around three dozen organisations inspired by it also witnessed massive expansion under his leadership.

Rajju Bhayya was very clear about the RSS’s relation with politics. He once said, “It is wrong to say that the RSS is being influenced by politics. The truth is that we have never given much importance to politics. In 1977, Chandrashekharji told Shri Balasaheb Deoras, ‘Now it’s your party’s government, so your organisation (RSS) should also join the government.’ Balasaheb said, ‘It is not necessary that all trains should leave from the same platform. What matters is that the direction of all these trains should be the same.’”

Rajju Bhayya made it even clearer, “Our only interest is that good people should get elected in the political field. We do not assume that the political establishment will transform society. But if good people get elected, then they wouldn’t create hurdles in the way of national work, they won’t go for bans and against Hindutva. If that much is ensured, we can do the rest of the work...”

After the demolition of the disputed structure at Ayodhya in 1992 during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, the mass media often used the term ‘militant Hindu’. Rajju Bhayya had a very interesting take on this.

While addressing an impressive gathering of Indians at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, London (UK), Rajju Bhayya recalled an interview he gave to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) after the ban on the RSS was lifted in 1993.

“After the ban on the RSS was lifted, a BBC correspondent came to me and asked, ‘You seem to be a different type of Hindu. So, shall we call you militant Hindus?’”

I told him, “We are neither submissive Hindus, nor militant Hindus. We are ‘Assertive Hindus’ as we present our viewpoint and thoughts with conviction and firmness. We don’t feel ashamed to be called Hindus. We are proud to be Hindus. Others should not humiliate us, and that is why we have to say this with firmness.”

Rajju Bhayya was the first Sarsanghchalak who had not worked with the organisation’s founder, Dr Keshav Baliram Hedgewar. His appointment as Sarsanghchalak also established the tradition of an outgoing Sarsanghchalak appointing a new one during his lifetime. Rajju Bhayya appointed KS Sudarshan in 2000 as his successor, and the latter appointed the current Sarsanghchalak, Mohan Bhagwat, in 2009.

In the RSS, while the Sarkaryavah is elected by its highest decision-making body, the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), the post of Sarsanghchalak is a nominated one.

In 1952, Rajju Bhayya was included in the RSS’s provincial team of Uttar Pradesh and was assigned an important role to assist Bhaurao Deoras in expanding the organisation’s footprint in the state of Uttar Pradesh. In the late 1960s, he went to work in Bihar as the organisation’s presence there was not as strong. Rajju Bhayya took over this task from Bhaurao Deoras. Some of the key RSS functionaries who played an important role in strengthening the organisation in Bihar included Govindacharya (who later became organising secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party), Shankar Tiwari, Laxmanrao Bhide, and Rajabhau Sawargaonkar.

In 1975, when then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed Emergency, Rajju Bhayya played an important role in organising the underground resistance movement while he kept on moving from one place to another under the alias Professor Gaurav Singh. He couldn’t be arrested throughout the 19-month-long Emergency despite several all-India search and arrest operations against him by authorities.

When Indira Gandhi decided to amend the Constitution during this period, Rajju Bhayya played an instrumental role in organising a seminar to discuss the proposed amendments at the Constitution Club of India in New Delhi. Legal luminaries like Soli Sorabjee and public figures like Acharya Kripalani delivered inspiring and daring speeches criticising the government’s move. It was unthinkable during those days to organise such an event. Krishnakant (who later became the Vice President of India) also played an important role in putting Rajju Bhayya in touch with all these luminaries. The event left the Intelligence Bureau and the government of the day stunned.

“After the success of this programme, we organised several such events across the country and they helped a lot in changing the atmosphere,” said Rajju Bhayya in his memoirs.

After the announcement of the general elections in 1977, Rajju Bhayya met Chaudhary Charan Singh, Morarji Desai, George Fernandes, and many other senior leaders who were not sure whether the Opposition was in a position to even contest the polls. But he assured them and encouraged them to come together and contest the polls jointly.

Rajju Bhayya’s unparalleled organisational skills resulted in his appointment as the Sahsarkaryawah (Joint General Secretary) of the RSS in 1977. He was soon elevated to shoulder a greater responsibility as the Sarkaryawah (General Secretary) of the organisation.

On 11 March 1994, Balasaheb Deoras announced his name as the fourth Sarsanghchalak.

Rajju Bhayya was 72 when he took over as the fourth Sarsanghchalak and not in the best of health, but he travelled extensively for organisational work. In fact, he was the first Sarsanghchalak who also travelled outside India to Europe, Britain, America, Africa, and South-East Asia and interacted with people of Hindu origin settled in these countries.

In 1997, when Rajju Bhayya completed 75 years, some RSS functionaries wanted to publish his biography. But he refused, saying he had done his duty and nothing extraordinary.

Due to the gruelling schedule, Rajju Bhayya’s health had deteriorated. So, after consulting senior functionaries of the organisation, he handed over the baton to KS Sudarshan on 10 March 2000. Born on 29 January 1922, Rajju Bhayya passed away on 14 July 2003 at Pune.