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April 10, 2026
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"You, oh sacred fire, are the fast living one for living men. The Gods made you as the lord of the peoples of Nahusha. They made Ila the teacher of men (1.31.11)."
"Let the two heavenly Heralds, first, most wise, most fair, present oblation duly with the sacred verse, Worshipping God at ordered seasons decking them at three high places at the centre of the earth. Sarasvatī who perfects our devotion, Iḷā divine, Bhāratī all surpassing,— Three Goddesses, with power inherent, seated, protect this holy Grass, our flawless refuge!"
"We set you down, oh sacred fire, at the most holy place on Earth, in the land of Ila, in the clear brightness of the days. On the Drishadvati, the Apaya and the Saraswati rivers, shine out brilliantly for men. - Rig Veda III.23.4"
Young though he was, his radiant energy produced such an impression of absolute reliability that Hedgewar made him the first sarkaryavah, or general secretary, of the RSS.
- Gopal Mukund Huddar
Largely because of the influence of communists in London, Huddar's conversion into an enthusiastic supporter of the fight against fascism was quick and smooth. The ease with which he crossed from one worldview to another betrays the fact that he had not properly understood the world he had grown in.
Huddar would have been 101 now had he been alive. But then centenaries are not celebrated only to register how old so and so would have been and when. They are usually celebrated to explore how much poorer our lives are without them. Maharashtrian public life is poorer without him. It is poorer for not having made the effort to recall an extraordinary life.
I regret I was not there to listen to Balaji Huddar's speech [...] No matter how many times you listen to him, his speeches are so delightful that you feel like listening to them again and again.
By the time he came out of Franco's prison, Huddar had relinquished many of his old ideas. He displayed a worldview completely different from that of the RSS, even though he continued to remain deferential to Hedgewar and maintained a personal relationship with him.