Dattopant Thengadi | |
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| Born | Dattatrye Bapurao Thengadi 10 November 1920 |
| Died | 14 October 2004 (aged 83) Pune, Maharashtra, Republic of India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Alma mater | Morris College |
| Organization | Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh |
| Known for | Founder of Swadeshi Jagaran Manch Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh Bharatiya Kisan Sangh |
| Parent(s) | Bapurao Dajeebaa Thengadi (Father), Shrimati Janaki Devi (Mother) |
| Awards | Awarded with Padma Bhushan, but he refused.[1] |
| Website | https://dbthengadi.in/ |
| Signature | |
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Dattopant Bapurao Thengadi, (Marathi: दत्तोपंत ठेंगडी, 1920–2004) was an Indian Hindu Ideologue, trade union leader and founder of the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch, Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh and the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh. He was born in the Arvi town of Wardha district in Maharashtra.
Thengadi was a full-time Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh pracharak until his death on 14 October 2004. He has been one of the foremost advocates of the hallmark qualities of his lifestyle: simple living, in-depth study, deep thinking, clarity of thought.[2] He was awarded with Padma Bhushan but refused to accept it.[1]
Dattopant Thengadi (Dattatreya Bapurao Thengadi) was born in Arvi (Wardha, Maharashtra) on Deepawali, 10 November 1920. He studied law at Law College in Nagpur.[3] He finished his post-graduation from Morris College and LLB from Law College in Nagpur. He was a lawyer as well as a philosopher, and displayed an early talent for administration. At the age of 15, he served as president of the ‘Vanar Sena’ as well as the Municipal High School student union at Arvi.[4] He actively took part in India's Freedom Movement and was a member of the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) from 1936-38. He became a full-time Pracharak in 1942. He worked as organizing secretary of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) from 1950–51,[4] and was also associated with the Postal & Railway Workers Union (Communist Party).[4] He was organising secretary of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh for Madhya Pradesh (1952-53) and South India (1956-57).
He was profoundly influenced by Madhavrao Sadashivrao Golwalkar, popularly known as Guruji. Some of the other towering figures of the time who influenced his persona are Babasaheb Ambedkar and Deendayal Upadhyaya.[4] He always kept pace with time[2] by establishing various organizations in different spheres, and maintained the core philosophy of Hindu Dharma[5][6][7]
Thengadi founded, some of the well-known organizations: Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh[5] (1955), Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (1979),[7] Swadeshi Jagran Manch (1991),[6] 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.
He was the member of the Rajya Sabha from Bharatiya Jana Sangh for two terms during 1964-76,[8] also served as its vice-chairman in 1968-70. Thengadi showed his leadership capabilities by organizing protests during the anti-Emergency movement in 1975.
A widely traveled man, within India. He also visited places abroad, which includes- Soviet Union[4] and Hungary as member of a parliamentary delegation (1969), Geneva, Switzerland to attend Second International Anti-Apartheid Conference at Geneva (1979).[4] He was invited in USA, Canada, Britain and Yugoslavia in 1979 to study the impact of liberalization on trade union movement. He has also travelled to, China, Jakarta, Bangladesh, Burma, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, on various occasions.[4]
Disenchanted with both the western models of development, namely, Capitalism and Socialism, he propounded a ‘Third Way’ of socio-economic development based on the ideology of ‘Sanatan Dharma’. He authored many books.
Dattopant Thengadi died on 14 October 2004 due to Brain Hemorrhage.
His writings will guide us
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Prime Minister of India:
"I have had long association with Thengadiji. I was present in the Bhopal meeting in which the decision to form the BMS was taken. During the discussion to decide the name of the new organisation, Thengadiji had suggested the name Shramjivi Sangathan. The name Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh was coined keeping in view the fact that the name should be simple and meaningful. I feel trade unionism is facing a crisis today. We have before us two paths, one of these is on the way out. There is a need to find out the third one. Workers' interests should be protected but at the same time the nation's interest too must be borne in mind. The workers' movement is in a crisis and how to balance things in a changing scenario should be considered using the third way out, which was what Thengadi had been attempting. Whatever Thengadiji has written should be read by all of us. I feel it will guide us for long." [9]
Dedicated Rashtrasevak
L.K. Advani, Deputy Prime Minister of India
I have had close relations with Dattopantji for the last 50 years. If one has to explain the personality of Dattopantji in one sentence, we can say that he was a dedicated Rashtrasevak.He lived his whole life as a karmayogi. The work he took up he aimed it out with full responsibility. He established a wide network of friends without compromising on his views and ideology. His thinking was not confined to labourers or economic issues alone it involved the entire life of the nation and the world. His death is a personal loss to me. A strong pillar of our work is no more.[10]
Messiah of poor and farmer
Ashokjee (Ashok Singhal), International Working President of Vishva Hindu Parishad:
With the death of Dattopantji we all have become orphans. He was a messiah of poor and farmer. There are certain great personalities whose loss can never be filled. Dattopantji was a similar great personality. He had original thinking on all spheres of life. His mother and Shri Guruji were his guides. At the time when the country is facing onslaughts from all sides, the void left by Dattopantji will be felt greatly.[11]
