K. S. Sudarshan
Kuppahalli Sitaramayya Sudarshan | |
|---|---|
| 5th Sarsanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh | |
| In office 10 March 2000 – 21 March 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Rajendra Singh |
| Succeeded by | Mohan Bhagwat |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kuppahalli Sitaramayya Sudarshan 18 June 1931 Raipur, Central Provinces and Berar, British India (present day Chhattisgarh, India) |
| Died | 15 September 2012 (aged 81) Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India |
| Education | Bachelor of Engineering |
| Alma mater | Jabalpur Engineering College |
| Occupation |
|
Kuppahalli Sitaramayya Sudarshan (18 June 1931 – 15 September 2012) was an Indian activist and the fifth Sarsanghachalak (Chief) of the far-right Hindutva paramilitary organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), from 2000 to 2009.
Biography
[edit]Sudarshan was born in a Brahmin family in Raipur, Central Provinces and Berar.[1] He received his Bachelor of Engineering in Telecommunications (Honours) from Jabalpur Engineering College (formerly named as Government Engineering college) in Jabalpur.[2] His parents hailed from Kuppahalli Village, Mandya district, in the Kingdom of Mysore, a princely state.
He was only nine years old when he first attended an RSS Shakha. In 1954, he was appointed as a Pracharak, with his initial posting in Raigarh district, then part of Madhya Pradesh (now located in Chhattisgarh). In 1964, he became the Prant pracharak of the RSS for Madhya Pradesh.[1] Five years later, in 1969, he was appointed convener of the All-India Organisations' Heads. This was followed by an assignment in north-eastern India in 1977. In 1979, he assumed leadership of the Bauddhik Cell, an ideological and intellectual wing of the RSS. In 1990, he was appointed Joint General Secretary of the organisation.[3]
Sudarshan became Sarsanghachalak of the RSS on 11 March 2000.[4] He succeeded Rajendra Singh, who had stepped down on health grounds.[5]
In his acceptance speech, Sudarshan recounted being personally selected to lead the RSS in the Madhya Bharat region. He stated that although he was initially reluctant to assume the responsibility, the then RSS Sarsanghachalak M. S. Golwalkar played a key role in persuading him to accept the position.[3]
A hardliner, many of his statements drew sharp criticism from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Dalits across India.[1] He frequently clashed with the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee.[6][7] He stepped down as Sarsanghachalak on 21 March 2009, due to poor health, with Mohan Bhagwat succeeding him.[8][9]
He struggled with dementia in his later years.[10][11] He died on 15 September 2012, due to a heart attack.[12][13] He was cremated in Nagpur.[14]
Ideology and views
[edit]Sudarshan deeply opposed the Constitution of India, stating "Throw away the outdated Indian Constitution which speaks of British legacy."[1] He once also stated "This constitution does not reflect the basic ethos of this nation."[15]
Sudarshan viewed India as a Hindu nation, asserting, "India by definition is Hindu. The culture of this country is Hindu. Because Hindus form the backbone of this nation." He further emphasised his belief by stating, "It is the ancient-most nation in the world." Sudarshan also regarded all Indians, irrespective of their religion, as inherently Hindu, claiming, "Their [Muslims and Christians] forefathers were Hindu. And the blood flowing in their veins is also, and the blood of their forefathers is Hindu."[15]
He was a vocal critic of the government led by Vajpayee, the first prime minister of India from the BJP, who headed a coalition administration under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). He perceived Vajpayee as having made comparatively limited contributions to governance, compared to his predecessors such as Indira Gandhi and P. V. Narasimha Rao. Additionally, he expressed frustration with L. K. Advani, whom he regarded as having failed to influence the Vajpayee government towards a more overtly ideological orientation.[16][12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Maitra, Pradip (16 September 2012). "Sudarshan, a RSS hardliner who wanted to pray in mosque on Eid". Hindustan Times.
- ^ "Former RSS chief KS Sudarshan cremated in Nagpur". NDTV.
- ^ a b Diwanji, Amberish (9 February 2000). "K S Sudarshan: Born into RSS". Rediff.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2025.
- ^ "HT This Day: March 11, 2000 -- Sudarshan takes over as RSS chief". Hindustan Times. 8 March 2022.
- ^ "While time hardens cement, at this age, it does not heal bones". Rediff.com.
- ^ Bidwai, Praful (6 May 2005). "Convulsions in the Parivar". Frontline (magazine).
- ^ Gupta, Shekhar (25 December 2017). "When an RSS chief was supremely unimpressed with Atal Bihari Vajpayee". ThePrint. Archived from the original on 8 April 2018.
- ^ "Sudarshan announces retirement, Mohan Bhagwat new RSS chief". The Times of India. 21 March 2009. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021.
- ^ "Sudarshan steps down; Mohan Bhagwat new RSS chief". The New Indian Express. 21 March 2009. Archived from the original on 13 November 2022.
- ^ "Former RSS chief goes missing, traced". The Hindu. 3 August 2012. Archived from the original on 25 February 2021.
- ^ "Former RSS chief Sudarshan found 7 hrs after he goes missing in Mysore". India Today. 3 August 2012. Archived from the original on 18 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Ex-RSS chief Sudarshan passes away". The Hindu. 15 September 2012. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019.
- ^ Jaiswal, Anuja (15 September 2012). "KS Sudarshan, former RSS chief, passes away". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 16 September 2012.
- ^ Dasgupta, Sabyasachi (16 September 2012). "Former RSS chief KS Sudarshan cremated in Nagpur". NDTV.
- ^ a b Thapar, Karan (17 December 2024). "Full Text | Constitution, Majority, BJP: What an RSS Chief Told Karan Thapar Decades Ago". The Wire (India).
- ^ Venkatesan, V. "Conflict in the Parivar". Frontline (magazine). Archived from the original on 18 September 2012.