Pointing out that people mostly become famous by the titles they get, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday in some cases the titles become more revered after they are conferred upon certain people. This is what happened after the ‘Bharat Ratna’ was conferred upon Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue late Nanaji Deshmukh.

He said as soon as the BJP came to power with full majority, Prime Minister Narendra Modi conferred the title of ‘Bharat Ratna’ upon Nanaji Deshmukh (posthumously in 2019). “Kai bade bade vyakti, badi badi upaadhi se alankrit hote hain… aur kai aise vyakti hote hain jinko milne se upaadhi alankrit hoti hai, aur Nanaji unme se ek hain.” (Some people get celebrated through the titles they get while titles become distinguished through the people they are conferred upon, and Nanaji was one such person), he contended.

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“Nanaji played a crucial role in the formation of the Janata Party that formed the first non-Congress government in the country after a massive defeat of the Indira Gandhi-led Congress in the general elections after the Emergency period, and saved democracy and the nation,” Shah said while addressing a function to pay homage to Nanaji Deshmukh on his 15th death anniversary at the ‘Deendayal Upadhyay Shodh Sansthaan’ at Chitrakoot in the Satna district of Madhya Pradesh today afternoon.

“Nanaji Deshmukh’s life, ideals, principles, and personality were ‘yugparivartankaari’. He left his mark not only for years but also for ages to come,” Shah stated. Deshmukh got accolades and respect from all sectors like politics, business, education, arts, social service and others, while no one, even the opposition, ever said anything wrong about him, he added.

“After India attained independence, majority of the people who loved and respected India were disappointed and dejected as Jawaharlal Nehru’s policies had nothing to do with the Indian traditions and values but were merely Hindi translations of all Western policies,” Shah alleged.

“It was Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, who gave the principle of ‘Ekatma Manavad’, which resounded with the glorious traditions, values and heritage of the real India in all fields like the country’s foreign policy, internal policy, economic policy, administration, governance, and development models,” Shah asserted.

Shah said the founder of the Bharatiya Jansangh, late Deendayal Upadhyay, named India’s development model ‘Antyodaya’, for the development of the last man in line, to achieve the overall development of the nation.

The home minister added that Nanaji Deshmukh brought that principle on the ground and implemented ‘Antyodaya’ through ‘Gramothan’, and made Chitrakoot his ‘karma bhoomi’.

He said Nanaji’s works and experiments transformed rural India and gave the BJP governments the focus, encouragement and vision to fulfill the basic needs of the poor. “Today, in 10 years under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, 60 crore poor have a house, a toilet in the house, drinking water, gas cylinder, 5 kg grain, electricity, and health facility of Rs 5 lakh,” the Home Minister informed.

Shah said that former president late Dr A P J Abdul Kalam fittingly gave Nanaji Deshmukh the title of ‘Rashtra Rishi’.

He further said that Nanaji Deshmukh made the Deendayal Shodh Sansthan his workplace and dedicated his entire life to the service of the nation and society.

He said he was himself involved with the Deendayal Shodh Sansthaan’s monthly magazine ‘Manthan’ and it provided an unparalleled insight and knowledge about the BJP’s ideology and work culture. “The Manthan magazine is no less than the Vedas and Upanishads for a BJP worker,” Shah asserted.

Shah informed that Nanaji Deshmukh also started the country’s first ‘Saraswati Shishu Mandir’ school at Gorakhpur in UP, which now has thousands of branches across India.

Shah also appreciated the Deendayal Shodh Sansthan for setting up a statue of Deendayal Upadhyay on the occasion and also for the launch of ‘Ram Darshan’ based on the life of Lord Rama, who spent the longest time at Chitrakoot during his 14-year Vanvaas.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav, Hindu seers Mukut Murari Bapu and Swami Shri Haslanandacharya Maharaj, MP Deputy CM Rajendra Shukla and others were also present on the occasion.

Chandikadas Amritrao Deshmukh, fondly called Nanaji Deshmukh, was born on 11 October 1916 in the small town of Kadoli in Hingoli district of Maharashtra.

Deshmukh set up the Deendayal Shodh Sansthan at Chitrakoot in 1972, to propagate, validate and implement the philosophy of ‘Ekatma Manavad’ (Integral Humanism), propounded by Deendayal Upadhyay.

He was conferred the ‘Padma Vibhushan’ too in 1999.

Deshmukh breathed his last at the age of 93 on 27 February 2010, at Chitrakoot.