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firstpost.com

Modi's mentors: Kashinath Bagwade, the

personal discipline guru
Jan. 2, 2014 4 min read original

Editor's note: Narendra Modi has revealed his inspirations in a work he

wrote after he became chief minister in 2001. The book, written in Gujarati,
is called Jyotipunj. In this chapter from his book of short biographies, being
translated for the first time, Narendra Modi profiles the man who offered
him lessons in personal discipline, disaster management and
administration.
The most ordinary man will have something extraordinary about him.
Circumstance and opportunity sometimes have a part in this, and
sometimes an individual takes hammer and chisel to himself and sculpts
his character.India's youth were seething with nationalist sentiment
before independence. Those generations had the opportunity to do
something for their country, and they did.
In those times, in Maharashtra's Satara district is a little village called
Wai. Here in an ordinary family was born Kashinath Bagwade. His heart
burned with desire to do something for his nation, and he turned to the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.
With his brothers, he came to Nadiad's New Shorrock mill for a job. Here,
he joined the Kheda agitation for independence. The seed the RSS had
planted in him flowered in Gujarat. Kashinathji was a matriculate, but he
was not limited by that. He was also untouched by things as his dislocation
from a little village to a town like Nadiad, and by any thoughts of what he
should do for himself. His family had expectations of his helping them out
on the economic front, but his attention was elsewhere.

Narendra Modi (far left) with Eknath Ranade, Kanti Vyas and Kashinath Bagwade. Image from book.
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In 1945, he quit his job, and his home and decided to unite Hindu society
against slavery. Kashinathji became a Pracharak. He began his work in
Kheda and learnt Gujarati in a short time. His qualities, his simplicity and
his hard work compensated for his lack of a degree. Very soon, he had
control over the task at hand in Kheda as Pracharak.
For many years Gujarat, particularly Kutch, was considered to be a
'punishment posting'. But Kashinathji's success in Kheda ensured he was
given charge of Kutch. Before independence, sometimes one had to reach
Kutch by sea, but this was no problem for him. He soon understood the
intricacies, special characteristics and granularities of Kutch.
Till today, the first generation of Kutch's Swayamsevaks don't tire of
talking about Kashinathji's walking and cycling tours, and his ability to
keep working without food. Today's generations will find such things
fantastic, but they are true.The development of the RSS in Gujarat
happened through two incidents.
In both of them, Kashinathji was involved. In the RSS, we are often taught
that it's one hour for the Shakha and 23 hours for the nation and society.
Something now happened for this to be demonstrated to society.In 1956,
an earthquake hit Kutch's Anjar area. Pandit Nehru himself rushed to help.
In that period, through Kashnathji's efforts, the Sangh had only just begun
to become effective there organisationally. It wasn't capacious enough to
manage the disaster. But the desire outstripped the capacity.
Kashinathji began to work for the rehabilitation of those affected. There
was a vast gap to be bridged between those who needed assistance and
those who could give it. For a large part of the Congress, this was a photo
opportunity more than anything else.Kashinathji scrambled the
Swayamsevaks into action. Armed with three or four days' food, some
bedding and clothing and essentials, they reached Kutch. Without taking
anything from society and without straining the affected area's resources,
they helped those in need. Soon, even the government had to rely on
Kashinathji and his team for real information of the situation.

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Those politicians who came to be photographed, at first would scowl at the

sight of khaki-shorts-wearing Swayamsevaks. But they also were
dependent on them.In particular, those who were displaced from Sindh at
Partition and ran into this second disaster were helped by the RSS.
After the war against China, Kashinathji was put in charge of Mehsana,
near Ahmedabad. Under his supervision, the RSS developed there rapidly.
Even today, in all of Gujarat, the RSS is most prominent in Mehsana and
this is because of Kashinathji's efforts.
He was a slight figure physically, but never tired of taking his cycle and
setting off on roads, whether paved or not.He was an incredible
administrator, and this showed in the way he lived. Everything information, prioritisation of tasks, arrangements - was always at hand
with him. He was seriously disciplined. He was up and ready by 4 or4:30
am. He sat with 50 postcards and began his day. Before dawn, he would try
to deliver these to the villages, each with different instructions for
different Karyakartas.
His writing was clear and precise, always, despite being so prolific. His
manner of using words did not alter. This way, over 30 years, of writing
lakhs of postcards would be in the running for a record today!The second
incident I write of happened after the formation the Vishwa Hindu
Parishad in 1964. The religious outlook of Gujaratis ensured that the VHP
made rapid inroads here. The first national gathering of the VHP happened
in Siddhpur. Guruji Golwalkar, the Shankaracharya and other saints and
mahants assembled in Gujarat for the first time.
Thousand of these saints and lakhs of citizens participated at this
incredible event. In 1971-72, Kashinathji was managing the gathering. It
was no ordinary task - each saint is an institution. Each with different
traditions, rules and regulations governing his life. To manage this, and to
do it with respect and efficiently and on time, is not easy. On the other
hand were lakhs of devotees, whose needs also had to be cared for. All of
this Kashinathji did brilliantly, establishing new benchmarks.

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More than four decades Kashinathji spent thus - with great discipline and
hardship on RSS work and without care for his personal life. This resulted
in a painful end. His health deteriorated, but he did not liked being asked
about it. As his end came, he was pained not by his body so much as the
thought that he could not do much for his nation any longer.

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