Dattopant Thengadi
Encyclopedia
Dattopant Bapurao Thengadi Hindi: दत्तोपंत बापुराव ठेंगड़ी, (November 10, 1920 – October 14, 2004) was a Hindu Ideologue
, India
trade union
leader, and founder of the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch
, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh
and the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh
. He was born in the village of Arvi in Wardha district
in Maharashtra
.
Shri, Thengadi Ji was a fulltime Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Pracharak till he breathed
his last on 14 October 2004. The kind of impact he left on the social and economic life of
India is supremely unique, and set the tone for generations to come . Some of the hallmark qualities of his lifestyle are- simple living, in-depth study, deep thinking, clarity of thought, courage of the conviction and missionary zeal for the goal.
called Arvi (Wardha, Maharashtra
) in the year 1920 (10 November) on the auspicious
day of Deepawali. He was a professionally trained lawyer, visionary, philosopher and
organizational man par excellence. He showed his leadership quality at an early age of 15
years by becoming the president of the ‘Vanar Sena’ at Arvi and president student union
,
Municipal High School, Arvi. He actively took part in Freedom Movement
and was a member of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association
(HSRA) in 1936-38. He worked as organizing secretary of Indian National Trade Union Congress
(INTUC) in 1950-51, and was also associated with Postal & Railway Workers Union (Communist Party
). He was profoundly influenced by Sh. Madhavrao Sadashivrao Golwalkar
, popularly known as Guru Ji, some of the other towering figures of the time who influenced his persona are- Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya
. He always kept pace with time by establishing various organizations in different spheres, and maintained the core philosophy of Hindu Dharma and Bhartiya Darshan.
(1955), Bharatiya Kisan Sangh
(1979), Swadeshi Jagran Manch
(1991) , Samajik Samarasata Manch, Sarva- panth Samadar Manch and Paryavaran Manch; also a founder member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
, Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad, Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat and Bharatiya Vichara Kendra
.
for two terms during 1964-76, also served as its
vice-chairman in 1968-70, always left his indelible imprints on all the tasks he handled as
parliamentarian. Shri Thengadi Ji showed his leadership capabilities by organizing the anti
Emergency movement in 1975, by way bringing together various political streams.
and Hungary as member of a parliamentary delegation (1969), Geneva, Switzerland to attend Second International
Anti-Apartheid Conference at Geneva (1979). He was invited in USA, Canada, Britain and Yugoslavia in 1979 to study the impact of liberalization on trade union movement. His conviction also took him to, China, Jakarta, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, on various occasions.
An erudite orator, expert in the social, economic and political issues, his soft but forcefully
presentations of the issues always kept the audience spellbound. Disenchanted with both
the western models of development, namely, Capitalism and Socialism, he propounded
the ‘Third Way’ of socioeconomic development based on the ideology of ‘Sanatan Dharma’.
He authored many books which grew not only from his ideological conviction but also from
his first hand experience, some of his widely read and referred works are: The Third Way;
Modernization Without Westernization; What Sustains Sangh?, Our National Renaissance,
It's Directions and Destination; Nationalist Pursuit; The great sentinel and The Perspective.
Hindu philosophy
Hindu philosophy is divided into six schools of thought, or , which accept the Vedas as supreme revealed scriptures. Three other schools do not accept the Vedas as authoritative...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
leader, and founder of the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch
Swadeshi Jagaran Manch
The Swadeshi Jagaran Manch or SJM is an economic wing of Sangh Parivar that again took the tool of Swadeshi advocated in India before its independence to destabilize the British Empire. SJM took to the promotion of Swadeshi industries and culture as a dote against LPG. It is usually recognised as...
, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh
Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh
The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh is the largest central trade union organization in India. It was founded by Dattopantji Thengdi on July 23, 1955, which also happens to the birthday of Bal Gangadhar Tilak....
and the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh
Bharatiya Kisan Sangh
The Bharatiya Kisan Sangh is an Indian farmers' representative organization affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. It is one of the well-known Sangh Parivar organization. The BKS was established by Dattopantji Thengdi on March 4, 1979 at Kota, Rajasthan. It has units in all states of...
. He was born in the village of Arvi in Wardha district
Wardha District
Wardha district is one of the 35 districts in Maharashtra state in western India. This district is a part of Nagpur Division. The city of Wardha is the administrative headquarters of the district. The district had a population of 1,236,736 of which 26.28% were urban as of 2001.-History:The History...
in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
.
Shri, Thengadi Ji was a fulltime Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or National Patriotic Organization), also known the Sangh, is a right-wing Hindu nationalist, paramilitary, volunteer, and allegedly militant organization for Hindu males in India...
Pracharak till he breathed
his last on 14 October 2004. The kind of impact he left on the social and economic life of
India is supremely unique, and set the tone for generations to come . Some of the hallmark qualities of his lifestyle are- simple living, in-depth study, deep thinking, clarity of thought, courage of the conviction and missionary zeal for the goal.
Early history
Shri Dattopant Thengadi (Dattatreya Bapurao Thengadi) was born in a humble villagecalled Arvi (Wardha, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
) in the year 1920 (10 November) on the auspicious
day of Deepawali. He was a professionally trained lawyer, visionary, philosopher and
organizational man par excellence. He showed his leadership quality at an early age of 15
years by becoming the president of the ‘Vanar Sena’ at Arvi and president student union
Student union
Student union may refer to:* Students' union, or student government in the U.S., a student organization at many colleges and universities dedicated to student governance...
,
Municipal High School, Arvi. He actively took part in Freedom Movement
Indian independence movement
The term Indian independence movement encompasses a wide area of political organisations, philosophies, and movements which had the common aim of ending first British East India Company rule, and then British imperial authority, in parts of South Asia...
and was a member of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association
Hindustan Socialist Republican Association
Hindustan Socialist Republican Association was a revolutionary organisation established in 1928 at Feroz Shah Kotla New Delhi by Chandrasekhar Azad, Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and others...
(HSRA) in 1936-38. He worked as organizing secretary of Indian National Trade Union Congress
Indian National Trade Union Congress
Indian National Trade Union Congress is the trade union wing of the Indian National Congress. It was founded May 3, 1947, and is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation. According to provisional statistics from the Ministry of Labour, INTUC had a membership of 3892011 in...
(INTUC) in 1950-51, and was also associated with Postal & Railway Workers Union (Communist Party
Communist Party of India
The Communist Party of India is a national political party in India. In the Indian communist movement, there are different views on exactly when the Indian communist party was founded. The date maintained as the foundation day by CPI is 26 December 1925...
). He was profoundly influenced by Sh. Madhavrao Sadashivrao Golwalkar
Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar
Madhav Sadashiv Golwalkar , popularly known as Pujyaniya Guruji , was the second "Sarsanghchalak" of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh a social and cultural organization of India.-Early years:...
, popularly known as Guru Ji, some of the other towering figures of the time who influenced his persona are- Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya
Deendayal Upadhyaya
Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya , along with Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, was an important leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, now the Bharatiya Janata Party.-Earlier Life and Education:...
. He always kept pace with time by establishing various organizations in different spheres, and maintained the core philosophy of Hindu Dharma and Bhartiya Darshan.
Founder of Organisations
Shri, Thengadi Ji, founded, nurtured and energized some of the well-known organizations of today: Bharatiya Mazdoor SanghBharatiya Mazdoor Sangh
The Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh is the largest central trade union organization in India. It was founded by Dattopantji Thengdi on July 23, 1955, which also happens to the birthday of Bal Gangadhar Tilak....
(1955), Bharatiya Kisan Sangh
Bharatiya Kisan Sangh
The Bharatiya Kisan Sangh is an Indian farmers' representative organization affiliated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. It is one of the well-known Sangh Parivar organization. The BKS was established by Dattopantji Thengdi on March 4, 1979 at Kota, Rajasthan. It has units in all states of...
(1979), Swadeshi Jagran Manch
Swadeshi Jagaran Manch
The Swadeshi Jagaran Manch or SJM is an economic wing of Sangh Parivar that again took the tool of Swadeshi advocated in India before its independence to destabilize the British Empire. SJM took to the promotion of Swadeshi industries and culture as a dote against LPG. It is usually recognised as...
(1991) , Samajik Samarasata Manch, Sarva- panth Samadar Manch and Paryavaran Manch; also a founder member of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad , is an all India student organization working in the field of education. ABVP was founded in 1948 and formally registered on 9 July 1949.-History:...
, Akhil Bharatiya Adhivakta Parishad, Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat and Bharatiya Vichara Kendra
Bharatiya Vichara Kendra
Bharatiya Vichara Kendra The [Bharatheeya Vichara Kendra] was established in 1982, by Mr P Parameshwaran as a centre of research and studies aimed at national re-construction. It is headquartered at Thiruvananthapuram...
.
In Parliament
He was the member of the Rajya SabhaRajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
for two terms during 1964-76, also served as its
vice-chairman in 1968-70, always left his indelible imprints on all the tasks he handled as
parliamentarian. Shri Thengadi Ji showed his leadership capabilities by organizing the anti
Emergency movement in 1975, by way bringing together various political streams.
Travel
A widely traveled man, within India he practically travelled almost every district place in the country if not taluka and village. He also visited foreign shores, which includes- Soviet Unionand Hungary as member of a parliamentary delegation (1969), Geneva, Switzerland to attend Second International
Second International
The Second International , the original Socialist International, was an organization of socialist and labour parties formed in Paris on July 14, 1889. At the Paris meeting delegations from 20 countries participated...
Anti-Apartheid Conference at Geneva (1979). He was invited in USA, Canada, Britain and Yugoslavia in 1979 to study the impact of liberalization on trade union movement. His conviction also took him to, China, Jakarta, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, on various occasions.
An erudite orator, expert in the social, economic and political issues, his soft but forcefully
presentations of the issues always kept the audience spellbound. Disenchanted with both
the western models of development, namely, Capitalism and Socialism, he propounded
the ‘Third Way’ of socioeconomic development based on the ideology of ‘Sanatan Dharma’.
He authored many books which grew not only from his ideological conviction but also from
his first hand experience, some of his widely read and referred works are: The Third Way;
Modernization Without Westernization; What Sustains Sangh?, Our National Renaissance,
It's Directions and Destination; Nationalist Pursuit; The great sentinel and The Perspective.