MaryellenBuckman: added citations also and corrected details per standard format

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added citations also and corrected details per standard format

>Ankush M. Nahata at 12:26, 17 September 2021

2021-09-17T12:26:21Z

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>Kautilya3: removed Category:Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh karmayogis using HotCat; deleting this category, which is not very notable

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removed Category:Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh karmayogis using HotCat; deleting this category, which is not very notable

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{{Multiple issues|
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{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
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{{Infobox person
| name = Eknath Ramkrishna Ranade
| image = Eknath_Ranade_image.jpg
| birth_date = 19 November 1914
| birth_place = [[Amravati district|Timtala]], [[Central Provinces and Berar]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|1982|8|22|1914|11|19|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Chennai|Madras]], [[Tamil Nadu]], [[India]]
| nationality = Indian
| other_names =
| known_for = [[Social reformers of India|Indian Social and Spiritual Reformer]]
| education =
| alma_mater = [[Dr. Hari Singh Gour University]]
}}

'''Eknath Ramkrishna Ranade''' (19 November 1914 – 22 August 1982), popularly referred to as '''Eknathji''', was a social activist and leader, motivated by the twin spirits of nationalism and [[spiritualism]], and known for his great organisational abilities.{{sfn|Vivekananda|2009|p=169}}

Having joined the [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS) while still in school, he became an important organiser and leader for the organisation, rising through its ranks to serve as its general secretary from 1956 to 1962. Ranade was greatly influenced by the teachings of [[Swami Vivekananda]], and compiled a book of Vivekananda's writings. During the 1963–72 period, Ranade played an instrumental role in the construction of the [[Vivekananda Rock Memorial]] and the [[Vivekananda Kendra]] at [[Kanyakumari]], Tamil Nadu.{{sfn|Advani|2008|pp=142–144}}{{sfn|Vivekananda|2009|p=169}}

==Early life and education==
Ranade was born on 19 November 1914 in Timtala, [[Amravati district]] in the western [[India]]n state of [[Maharashtra]]. In 1920 his family moved to [[Nagpur]] and Ranade had his primary education in Pradanavispura School. In 1932 he passed his matriculation examination from the New English High School in Nagpur. After getting a [[Master of Arts]] degree in philosophy with [[honours degree|honours]], he went on to earn an [[L.L.B]] from [[Dr. Hari Singh Gour University|Sagar University]] in [[Jabalpur]] in 1945.<ref name="Rock Memorial biography" />{{sfn|Vivekananda|2009|p=169}}

==Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh==
Ranade served as an important activist, ideologue and leader for [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]], a volunteer organisation espousing a philosophy of [[Hindu Nationalism]]. He was influenced during his schooling years by [[K.B. Hedgewar]], who founded the RSS in 1925, which Ranade joined as a ''Swayamsevak'' (volunteer) in 1926.<ref name="Rock Memorial biography">{{cite web|title=Eknath Ranade biography|url=http://rockmemorial.org/people/eknathranade.html|publisher=Vivekananda Rock Memorial|access-date=24 September 2013}}</ref>{{sfn|Vivekananda|2009|p=169}} After working for the RSS in [[Nagpur]], in 1938 Ranade moved to [[Mahakoshal]], [[Madhya Pradesh]] as a ''[[RSS pracharak|Pranth Pracharak]]'' (Provincial organiser).{{sfn|Jaffrelot|1999|p=146}}

Following the assassination of [[Mahatma Gandhi]] in 1948, the RSS was banned, and many of its senior functionaries faced arrest. Ranade went underground during this time to lead organizational efforts, earning the moniker of the ''Underground [[Sarsanghchalak]]''.{{sfn|Chitkara|2004|pp=326–327}} At the same time a ''Satyagraha'' was launched by the RSS under the direction of its leader [[M. S. Golwalkar]] to lift the ban. With Golwalkar arrested on 15 November, Ranade led the satyagraha and participated in secret negotiations with [[Minister of Home Affairs (India)|Home Minister]] [[Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel|Sardar Patel]]. As a condition for rescinding the RSS ban, Patel insisted that the RSS should be organised with a written constitution. A constitution was drawn up by Ranade in association with [[Prabhakar Balwant Dani|P. B. Dani]] and [[Balasaeb Deoras]] but it fell short of expectations of the Government and as a result it was redrafted to include clauses such as allegiance to the Indian Constitution and National Flag, shunning violence, enrolling under aged to the movement only with the permission of their parents, setting procedures for election of ''sarsanghchalak'' and so forth. With these modifications which were accepted in June 1949 by the government the ban imposed on RSS was revoked on 11 July 1949.{{sfn|Jaffrelot|1999|p=41}}{{sfn|Andersen|1972|p=677}}

In 1950 he worked as a ''Kshetra Pracharak'' for Poorvanchal Kshetra comprising [[Bengal]], [[Orissa]], and [[Assam]]. In [[Kolkata|Calcutta]], he established a ''Vastuhara Sahayata Samiti'' (lit. Committee to help the dispossessed) to aid refugees from [[Pakistan]] following the [[Partition of India]]. In 1953 Ranade became the ''Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh'' (lit. All-India Propagation Chief)<ref name="Rock Memorial biography" /> From 1956 to 1962, Ranade served as RSS's general secretary. During this period he tried to refocus RSS towards the task of character-building, instead of a pursuing a more activist stance in co-ordination with affiliated organisations; these efforts met with resistance from other senior leaders in RSS.{{sfn|Basu|1993|p=51}} In 1962, he was selected as All India Baudhik Pramukh of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.<ref name="Rock Memorial biography" />

On his death Ranade was honoured as a ''[[Karma yoga|Karmayogi]]'' by RSS publication, ''[[Organiser (newspaper)|Organiser]].''{{sfn|Jaffrelot|1999|p=41}}

==Vivekananda Memorial and Kendra==
{{See also|Vivekananda Rock Memorial#Role of Eknath Ranade}}
[[File:Vivekananda Memorial by the night, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu.jpg|thumb|Ranade was the organising secretary of [[Vivekananda Rock Memorial]] committee.]]
Ranade was deeply influenced by the teachings of [[Swami Vivekananda]]. In 1963, during the centenary year of [[Swami Vivekananda]]'s birth, he published a selection of Vivekananda's writing under the title ''[[Rousing Call to Hindu Nation]]'', as a personal tribute.{{sfn|Vivekananda|2009|p=169}}

The same year, Ranade conceived the idea of building a monument to Vivekananda at the mid-sea rock location near Kanyakumari, where Vivekananda had meditated for three days in December 1892. After receiving enthusiastic responses to the scheme from RSS chief [[M. S. Golwalkar]] and others, Ranade established the Vivekananda Rock Memorial Organising Committee and became its Organizing Secretary. Various branches of the committee were established across the country (with future [[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]] leader [[L. K. Advani]] serving as the organising secretary of the Delhi branch) to build support, and later raise funds, for the memorial. When the idea was initially rejected by the [[Ministry of Culture (India)|Minister of Education and Culture]] [[Humayun Kabir]], Ranade drummed up support from over 300 members of the [[Parliament of India|Indian Parliament]], which led to the project receiving approval from Prime Minister [[Indira Gandhi]]. Ranade also managed to win endorsement for the project from a diverse section of the political and spiritual community, including sections traditionally in opposition to RSS.{{sfn|Advani|2008|pp=142–144}}

After the project was approved, Ranade led a cadre of volunteers to raise funds for construction from donors across the country; state governments and the central [[Government of India]] also contributed towards the [[Indian Rupee|Rs.]]12.5 million fund total. The Rock Memorial was completed in 1970, and inaugurated by [[President of India]] [[V. V. Giri]] on 2 September.{{sfn|Advani|2008|pp=142–144}} During the birth centenary celebrations in 2014, Prime Minister [[Narendra Modi]] recalled the effectiveness of the '''Jan-Bhagidaari''' (Participation of people) scheme that was used by Eknathji. This scheme encouraged every citizen of the country to pay 1 rupee as a donation so that everyone would be a part of this mission.<ref name="narendramodi2014">{{cite web |title=PM Narendra Modi attributes formative learning to Eknath Ranade, urges youth to do the same |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-11-10/news/55955893_1_pm-narendra-modi-sardar-patel-statue-swami-vivekananda|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111210021/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-11-10/news/55955893_1_pm-narendra-modi-sardar-patel-statue-swami-vivekananda|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 January 2015|work=The Economic Times|access-date=8 May 2020}}</ref>

Two years later, Ranade founded the [[Vivekananda Kendra]], centred at Kanyakumari with branches elsewhere, as a [[Hinduism|Hindu]] spiritual organisation based on the principles of "Renunciation and Service" preached by Vivekananda.{{sfn|Advani|2008|pp=142–144}}{{sfn|Vivekananda|2009|p=169}} The Kendra is a "lay service organization" without a [[guru]] or propagation of a "guru culture" though it was influenced by the teachings of Vivekananda. It has 206 branches in various parts of the country. He did not endorse the status of an "avatar-hood" (god incarnate) to the Kendra. He therefore neither promoted himself or Vivekananda to the status of worship at the center but promoted the use of [[Om]]kara as its guiding principle. It was his view that by adopting Omkara as guru the entire class of gurus of the country are honoured.{{sfn|Copeman|Ikegame2012|p=9}} Ranade became the President of the Vivekananda Kendra in 1978, after serving as its general secretary.{{sfn|Vivekananda|2009|p=169}} A documentary titled "Eknathji: One Life - One Mission" has been made by Vivekananda Kendra on his life.<ref>{{Citation|last=Vivekananda Kendra|title=Eknathji : One Life - One Mission|date=2014-11-08|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igKT_5i2v_4|access-date=2016-11-20}}</ref>

==Death and legacy==
Ranade died in [[Madras]] (now Chennai) on 22 August 1982.{{sfn|Vivekananda|2009|p=169}} On 23 August 1982, he was cremated at Vivekanandapuram, [[Kanyakumari]].<ref name="Rock Memorial biography" />

==Publications==
Ranade's publications are the "Swami Vivekananda's [[Rousing Call to Hindu Nation]], the "Sadhana of Service" (1985), the "Story of Vivekananda Rock Memorial" and the "Kendra Unfolds".{{sfn|Vivekananda|2009|p=169}}

==See also==
* [[Alasinga Perumal]]

==Citations==
{{reflist}}

==References==
{{refbegin|33em}}
*{{cite book|last=Advani|first=L. K.|author-link=L. K. Advani|title=My Country My Life|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=z6xQgPV5tXEC&pg=PT142|year=2008|publisher=Rupa & Company|isbn=978-81-291-1363-4}}
*{{cite journal|last=Andersen|first=Walter|author-link=Walter K. Andersen| title=The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh: III: Participation in Politics|journal=Economic and Political Weekly|year=1972|volume=17|issue=3|pages=673–682}}
*{{cite book|last=Basu|first=Tapan |title=Khaki Shorts and Saffron Flags: A Critique of the Hindu Right|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CimVTTVHtwQC&pg=PA51|date=1 January 1993|publisher=Orient Blackswan|isbn=978-0-86311-383-3}}
*{{cite book|last=Chitkara|first=M. G. |title=Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh: National Upsurge|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ifuxzl9NM5sC&pg=PA326|date=1 January 2004|publisher=APH Publishing|isbn=978-81-7648-465-7}}
*{{cite book|last1= Copeman|first1=Jacob|last2= Ikegame |first2=Aya |title=The Guru in South Asia: New Interdisciplinary Perspectives|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=r2O3W7mkAwAC&pg=PA9|date=21 August 2012|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-0-415-51019-6}}
*{{cite book|last=Jaffrelot|first=Christophe |author-link=Christophe Jaffrelot |title=The Hindu Nationalist Movement and Indian Politics: 1925 to the 1990s|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iVsfVOTUnYEC&pg=PA41|year=1999|publisher=Penguin Books India|isbn=978-0-14-024602-5}}
*{{cite book|last= Vivekananda |first=Swami |title=Swami Vivekananda's Rousing Call to Hindu Nation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XRcK1293WMUC&pg=PT169|year=2009|publisher=Vivekananda Kendra|isbn=978-81-89248-10-9}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|last=Jaffrelot|first=Christophe |author-link=Christophe Jaffrelot|title=Religion, Caste, and Politics in India|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XAO3i_gS61wC&pg=PA257|year=2010|publisher=Primus Books|isbn=978-93-80607-04-7}}

{{Sangh Parivar |state=autocollapse}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ranade, Eknath Ramkrishna}}
[[Category:1982 deaths]]
[[Category:1914 births]]
[[Category:Activists from Maharashtra]]
[[Category:People from Amravati district]]
[[Category:Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj Nagpur University alumni]]
[[Category:Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh pracharaks]]

Eknath Ranade - Revision history

MaryellenBuckman: added citations also and corrected details per standard format

>Ankush M. Nahata at 12:26, 17 September 2021

>Kautilya3: removed Category:Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh karmayogis using HotCat; deleting this category, which is not very notable