keshav tum ko pranam

Gallant Fighter For Motherland

Patriotic personalities like Lokmanya Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, etc., were fighting to put an end to the oppressive rule of the British.

Keshav was ever eager to listen to the speeches of such great leaders. He nourished a desire to become a speaker like them.

Keshav and his friends formed a discussion group for the purpose.

In 1905 Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy of Bharat, partitioned the Bengal Province into two. This provoked thousands of youths to revolt against the British. Foreign clothes were burnt. A few British officers were killed. How could the British’s tolerate this? They rained lath blows on the protesters, and shot many. They arrested the freedom fighters and dumped them in jails.

This was the time when "Vande Mataram" had become the refrain of the freedom struggle. It turned out to be the war cry of millions of youths, reverberating in the skies of Bharat.

Keshav was then studying in Neel City High School of Nagpur. The very mention of Wande Mataram" used to enrage the British. It was as, if molten lead was being poured in their ears. They had banned the singing of Wande Mataram" 'in schools. Severe punishment awaited those who brazenly sang it. Such was the terror- stricken atmosphere prevailing then.

One day during 1908, an officer of the Department of Education arrived for inspection of the Neel City High School. The students were already occupying their seats in the respective classes. The atmosphere in the school was rather serious and disquieting.

The Inspector set out for inspection along with the Headmaster of the school. They wanted to first visit the matriculation class. Barely had they reached the threshold of the classroom when, like a bolt from the blue, a deafening cry of Wande Mataram" rang out of that classroom piercing the ears of the duo. The Inspector was angry beyond words. Shutting his tears, he moved to the next class. There too, the same scene awaited him: same resounding roar of' Vande Mataram' greeted him.

The Inspector thundered, "This is treason. Who have been singing Vande Mataram'? Debar all those fellows from the school. They should be punished mercilessly." Passing strict orders, he left the school in a huff.

The question which occupied the minds of all was, who might be the brainy chap who was so bold as to organize the singing of "Vande Mataram" in chorus?

The teachers held out threats to the students. When this method failed, they begged of them to reveal the secret. But to no avail.

They declared that they would order mass rustication if the name were not revealed. The students remained unmoved.

As none disclosed the name of their leader, all the students of both the classes which had sung Vande Mataram' were summarily removed from the school. But all of them came out of the school and marched like victorious warriors singing in unison Vande Mataram', this time with an even louder voice.

Keshav never set foot in that school again. He was a blossoming youth of just nineteen then. His was a well-built, tall, muscular body: a result of regular workouts in the gymnasium: rather dark in complexion-, face pitted with small pox marks; a bright pair of eyes. It was the same Keshav who had kindled the flame of patriotism in the bosoms of his fellow-students in the Neel City High School to sing Vande Mataram'.

After leaving the Neel City High School, Keshav joined Rashtriya Vidyalaya of Yeotmal. The leaders had started such schools at several places for providing national education to students. It was a model school with ideal teachers, who were content with low salaries, but evinced very keen interest in imparting good education to students. Since it was inculcating a national outlook through education, the Government was naturally unhappy, On account of perpetual harassment by the Government the Yeotmal School was eventually closed down. But Keshav remained unperturbed, He went to Pune to continue his studies. Thereafter, he took up his Entrance examination of Calcutta Rashtriya Vidyapeeth at Amaravati in Maharashtra. In those days of extreme hardship, it was a miracle that Keshav had progressed so far in studies. It was indeed a remarkable achievement on his part. Steeped in poverty, the household never knew when the next meal would present itself to them. But it was not this condition that was worrying Keshav. His anxieties were different. What caused immense sorrow to him was that the Motherland was under an oppressive foreign rule. Many felt that armed revolt against the British was the only way for freeing the country.Persuaded thus, Keshav chose to go to Bengal, which was the cradle of revolutionaries, in order to gain experience in their close association. In fulfillment of the desire of Keshav, the elders of Nagpur like Dr. Moonje came forward to provide the necessary help for Keshav's further education. He was sent to the National Medical College of Calcutta - to a strange land 700 miles away from Nagpur, in mid-1910.

'Keshav' become 'Keshavrao' with his admission to the Medical College at Calcutta.

Final Decision

The Sampoorna Swaraj movement was in full swing. Hedgewar brought out a journal in cooperation with his friends titled 'Swatantrya'. It was full of fierce articles demanding complete Independence. When the paper began to limp due to financial losses, Doctor Hedgewar himself took over the reins of its editorship.

But as time passed, the Non-cooperation movement cooled down. In-discipline and selfishness had reared their ugly heads in the society. The conspiring Britishers created rifts and rivalries between Hindus and Muslims.

After observing all this, Doctor Hedgewar came to the conclusion: If the yoke of the British slavery has to be overthrown, we have to mainly trust the Hindus. We have to awaken patriotism, discipline and bravery. Then only will the Muslims shed their separatist tendencies and stand shoulder to shoulder with the 'Hindus in the nationalist movement.

Torch-Bearer To The Country

Hedgewar did not wear the robes of a sannyasin; nor did he run away from the normal way of life in the society. But his inner being enlarged itself to include the entire society: the society at large became his family. He remained a life-long celibate to be able to apply himself totally to the task he had charged himself with. He was indeed a sannyasin in essence, though not in external form.

He lived only for 50 years. But the fragrance of his life will permeate the society for hundreds of years to come. Persons influenced by his thoughts, words and deeds are countless indeed. The incense-stick burns itself into ashes, but spreads its aroma in the surroundings. By wearing himself out, Doctor Hedgewar created a generation of dedicated social workers with unsullied nationalist spirit, character, and total identification with Hindu society, ever willing to sacrifice themselves in the nation's cause.

A tiny lamp lit seven decades ago has now become an effulgent star shining in the national horizon surrounded by a galaxy of millions of shining stars in the expansive skies, illumining cities, villages, hamlets, homes and hearths. With every passing day, the star shines brighter and brighter.