Moropant Pingley

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Moropant Pingle
Born30 December 1919
Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India
Died21 September 2003(2003-09-21) (aged 83)
Nagpur, Maharashtra, India
Nationality Indian
Education Bachelor of Arts in English from Morris College, Nagpur
Organization Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Vishwa Hindu Parishad

Moreshwar Nilkanth Pingley, also known as 'Moropant', was a senior leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). During his 65 year affiliation with the RSS as a pracharak he held numerous posts, the most notable of them being the Akhil Bharatiya Bouddhik Pramukh. He was one of the six unofficial Sarsanghchalaks during the 1975 state of emergency and a candidate for sarsangchalak after Balasaheb Deoras. [1] He was reported by the Indian media as the "Field Marshal" of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, which resulted in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. Numerous projects were undertaken under his mentorship, including research on cows, tracing the underground Saraswati river, and re-writing Indian history. Moropant shunned publicity.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Hindu nationalist organisation in India

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, abbreviated as RSS, is an Indian right-wing, Hindu nationalist, paramilitary volunteer organisation that is widely regarded as the parent organisation of the ruling party of India, the Bharatiya Janata Party. The RSS is the progenitor and leader of a large body of organisations called the Sangh Parivar, which have presence in all facets of the Indian society. Founded on 27 September 1925, the RSS is the world's largest voluntary organisation. It is the largest NGO in the world, while the BJP is the largest political party in the world.

The Emergency (India) 21-month period in the history of India when PM Indira Gandhi assumed extraordinary powers

In India, "the Emergency" refers to a 21-month period from 1975 to 1977 when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had a state of emergency declared across the country. Officially issued by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed under Article 352 of the Constitution because of the prevailing "internal disturbance", the Emergency was in effect from 26 June 1975 until its withdrawal in January 1977. The order bestowed upon the Prime Minister the authority to rule by decree, allowing elections to be suspended and civil liberties to be curbed. For much of the Emergency, most of Gandhi's political opponents were imprisoned and the press was censored. Several other human rights violations were reported from the time, including a forced mass-sterilization campaign spearheaded by Sanjay Gandhi, the Prime Minister's son. The Emergency is one of the most controversial periods of independent India's history.

Ram Janmabhoomi birthplace of Rama

Ram Janmabhoomi is the name given to the site that is the birthplace of Rama, the 7th avatar of the Hindu deity Vishnu. The Ramayana states that the location of Rama's birthplace is on the banks of the Sarayu river in a city called "Ayodhya". A section of Hindus claim that the exact site of Rama's birthplace is where the Babri Masjid once stood in the present-day Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh. According to this theory, the Mughals demolished a Hindu shrine that marked the spot, and constructed a mosque in its place. People opposed to this theory state that such claims arose only in the 18th century, and that there is no evidence for the spot being the birthplace of Rama.

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Early years in RSS

Moropant was one of the few honed under the mentorship of both K. B. Hedgewar and M.S. Golwalkar. After graduating with a Bachelor's degree in English in 1941, he became a full-time Sangh Pracharak. In 1946, at the age of 26, he was appointed as an assistant to the Pracharak at state level of Maharashtra. His most notable contribution during his early years was bridging the gap between factions in RSS, which developed due to rumours relating to M.S. Golwalkar's involvement in Mahatma Gandhi's murder. He was Sah Prant Pracharak of Maharashtra from for 21 years [1946 to 1967] [2]

K. B. Hedgewar Founding leader of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

Keshav Baliram Hedgewar, also known as "Doctorji" within his organisation, was the founding Sarsanghachalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Hedgewar founded the RSS in Nagpur in 1925, with the intention of promoting the concept of a united India rooted in the Hindutva ideology.

Maharashtra State in western India

Maharashtra is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is the second-most populous state and third-largest state by area in India. Spread over 307,713 km2 (118,809 sq mi), it is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to the southeast and Chhattisgarh to the east, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh to the north, and the Indian union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli to the north west. It is also the world's second-most populous subnational entity.

Mahatma Gandhi Pre-eminent leader of Indian nationalism during British-ruled India

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist, who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British Rule, and in turn inspire movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. The honorific Mahātmā, first applied to him in 1914 in South Africa, is now used throughout the world.

Vishva Hindu Parishad

Pingle was a founder member of the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP). [1] He remained a key link between the RSS and VHP as a 'trustee' (margadarshak) of the VHP, and strongly influenced its conduct from 1980 onwards. [3] He was the main architect of the Ramjanmabhoomi movement, which was instrumental in bringing the BJP to power in New Delhi in 1998. [4]

Vishva Hindu Parishad organization

The Vishva Hindu Parishad abbreviated as VHP, is an Indian right-wing Hindu millitant organisation based on the ideology of Hindutva.

First Ekatmata Yatra

The conversion of hundreds of Hindus at Meenakshipuram in 1981 led to organisation of the first "Ekatmata Yatra" by the VHP in 1983. Due to his excellent organisational skills, Moropant was given the responsibility of planning, co-ordinating and executing the Yatra. During its planning, Moropant extensively traveled around India. His effective selection of routes to be taken by the Ekatmata Raths (chariots), magnified the impact of the Yatra.

The 1981 Meenakshipuram conversion was a mass religious conversion that took place in the Indian village of Meenakshipuram, in which hundreds of low caste Hindus converted to Islam. This incident sparked debate over freedom of religion in India and the government decided to introduce anti-conversion legislation. Later, many converts converted back to Hinduism, citing the lack of fulfillment of promises made during the conversions.

"Ram-Janki" Rath Yatra

The Yatra in 1983 was followed by the "Ram-Janki" Rath Yatra in 1984. It was a precursor to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. The aim of this Yatra was to reunite the Hindus, and to kindle the feeling of pride amongst them. Seven chariots traveled through Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where Rama was shown behind bars depicting his state inside the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Moropant was appointed as the convener and contoller of this Yatra. In 1986, the Faizabad court ordered the unlocking of the temple.

Bihar State in Eastern India

Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the twelfth-largest Indian state, with an area of 94,163 km2 (36,357 sq mi). The third-largest state by population, it is contiguous with Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Bengal to the east, with Jharkhand to the south. The Bihar plain is split by the river Ganges, which flows from west to east. Three main regions converge in the state: Magadh, Mithila, and Bhojpur.

Uttar Pradesh State in India

Uttar Pradesh is a state in northern India. With roughly 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populous state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was created on 1 April 1937 as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh during British rule, and was renamed Uttar Pradesh in 1950. The state is divided into 18 divisions and 75 districts with the capital being Lucknow. The main ethnic group is the Hindavi people, forming the demographic plurality. On 9 November 2000, a new state, Uttarakhand, was carved out from the state's Himalayan hill region. The two major rivers of the state, the Ganga and Yamuna, join at Allahabad (Prayagraj) and then flow as the Ganga further east. Hindi is the most widely spoken language and is also the official language of the state, along with Urdu.

Rama Hindu deity

Rama or Ram, also known as Ramachandra, is a major deity of Hinduism. He is the seventh avatar of the god Vishnu, one of his most popular incarnations along with Krishna and Gautama Buddha. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Being.

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References

  1. 1 2 "Top RSS leader Pingle no more". Times of India. 22 September 2003. Retrieved 29 August 2014.
  2. ↑ http://www.archivesofrss.org/Encyc/2014/1/16/Moropant-Pingle.aspx
  3. ↑ Jaffrelot, Christophe (2011). Religion, Caste, and Politics in India. C Hurst & Co. p. 234. ISBN   978-1849041386.
  4. ↑ Joshi, Rajesh (14 December 1998). "A Lasso for the Errant". Outlook. Retrieved 29 August 2014.


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