Shri Guruji Golwalker

Shri Guruji was the second all-Bharat Chief of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He was born in 1906. His name was Madhav Sadashivrao Golwalkar.

1947: Leadership Par Excellence in That Terrible Crisis

Ultimately, the Congress leadership gave in to partition; and accordingly, the same was announced on 3rd July, 1947.
All of a sudden, the scenario in the country changed drastically. The Swayamsevaks were instructed to oversee and ensure the safe retrieval of the Hindus from the areas which were to emerge as Pakistan. They were to stay steadfast and not to leave until the last Hindu was thus rescued. Those terrible days posed many a moving and blood-soaked incident for the Swayamsevaks. Their incomparable battle strategies, valour, courage and sacrifice are worth recording in the history of Bharat in golden letters.
The example set forth by Shri Guruji in those days was also extremely inspiring. In those times, he continued to tour those tense areas. In August 1947, when he entered Punjab, after his one week’s stay at Sindh, there was terror and tension in the air. In spite of this, he reached out to the people in different places and boosted the morale of the anxious Hindu brethren, even putting his own life at stake.

He visited all the districts from Amritsar to Ambala. During this period, he would travel on damaged railway tracks, on goods trains or sometimes in the train engine. There was a bridge at Chahedu on way, and it seemed impossible to proceed any further, as the railway-track was hanging down from the bridge and below the bridge, flood-waters were gushing in tremendous speed. The Swayamsevaks were clueless as to how to proceed further, but when Shri Guruji reached there he unhesitatingly briskly walked over the broken track and crossed the bridge in no time. The rest of the Swayamsevaks also gathered courage and followed him. People were wonder-struck to receive them at the other end (Ludhiana).

The Swayamsevaks also accomplished another tough task in that nerve-raking situation of partition. They had to arrange for the food and shelter for lakhs of brothers and sisters migrating from Pakistan. Unparalleled forbearance, sympathy and sensitivity were the high-points of the service rendered by the Sangh in those days. Shri Guruji did not accept the partition as the ultimate truth. He nursed the dream of restoration of the divided idol of the Motherland to a unified one. He fervently hoped that every patriot would always nurture the same dream.