Today is September 11. This day evokes two contrasting remembrances: The first dates back to 1893, when Swami Vivekananda delivered his iconic Chicago Address. With the words, “Sisters and Brothers of America...,” he won the hearts of the audience. He introduced the timeless spiritual heritage of India and the idea of universal brotherhood to the world. The second is the gruesome 9/11 attacks, when this very principle came under attack from terrorists.

Today is also the birthday of a personality who, inspired by the principle of vasudhaiva kutumbakam (the world is one family), has dedicated his life to societal transformation and strengthening the spirit of harmony and fraternity. For lakhs of people associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), he is respectfully referred to as param pujya sarsanghchalak. I am referring to Mohan Bhagwat, whose 75th birthday is, incidentally, falling in the same year marking the centenary of the RSS. I would like to convey my best wishes to him and pray for his long and healthy life.

My association with Mohan Bhagwat’s family has been very deep. I have had the good fortune of working closely with his father, the late Madhukarrao Bhagwat. I have written extensively about him in my book, Jyotipunj. He played a pivotal role in strengthening the RSS across Gujarat. Along with his association with the legal world, he devoted himself to nation-building. Such was his passion towards nation-building that he groomed his son, Mohanrao, to work for India’s regeneration. It is as if Parasmani Madhukarrao prepared another Parasmani in Mohanrao.

Mohan Bhagwat became a pracharak in the mid-1970s. Upon hearing the word pracharak, one may mistakenly think it refers to someone who is simply doing prachar or campaigning, propagating ideas. But the........

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