Padma Shri P. Parameswaran, one of the senior-most pracharaks of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the founder-director of Bharatiya Vichara Kendram is no more. He was 94. He took his last breath at Ottappalam, Palakkad District of Kerala.
P. Parameswaran was an authority in ancient Indian wisdom, a prolific writer, acknowledged poet, researcher and a visionary, committed to the cause of national resurgence. He was the national secretary (1967 – 1971) and national vice president (1971 – 1977) of Bharatiya Jan Sangh and former director of the Deendayal Research Institute (1977 – 1982), New Delhi. Born in 1927 in Muhamma, Alappuzha district in Kerala, he joined RSS during his student days.
He completed B.A. History (Hon.), with distinction, from University of Kerala. Then he dedicated himself for the cause of national reconstruction and came out as a fulltime RSS Pracharak. During the days of draconian Emergency, declared by Smt. Gandhi, he courted arrest as part of the all India Satyagraha against the autocratic regime; he was jailed for 16 months under MISA.
Being a relentless high browed and intellectual fighter Parameswarji possesses the instinct and insight to identify the
Anti-national, negative and divisive onslaughts unleashed by the left intellectuals and always fight them out; he succeeded in creating an atmosphere of awareness at the national level to resist the left thoughts and fill the national consciousness with swadeshi spirit for the reconstruction of our great nation.
Bharatiya Vichara Kendram, a center for national resurgence, was established by Parameswarji in 1982 to promote nationalist thoughts among Keralites. It was followed by a compendium of research projects, national and international seminars, a publication of books and journals, etc. He was always pleased to meet and exchange ideas of differences with eminent communist ideologues like Sri. E.M.S. Nampoothiripad and many others.
His intelligent expedition on the life and works of Swami Vivekananda and Karl Marx titled ‘Marx and Vivekananda’ is an excellent example of his insight and clarity of expression. His books ‘Sri Narayana Guru – The Prophet of Renaissance,’ ‘From Marx to Maharshi,’ ‘Aurobindo – he Prophet of Future,’ ‘The Changing Society And The Changeless Values,’ etc, show his deep-rooted stature in the national consciousness and commitment to the cause of national reconstruction. He was prophetic in exposing the hollowness of the concept of ‘Kerala Model’ and later on his exposition was shared by eminent economist Dr. Amartya Sen. Considering his erudite scholarship in the life and works of Swami Vivekananda he was invited to participate in the centenary celebrations, of Swami Vivekananda’s Chicago Address, held in 1993. He is the President of Vivekananda Kendram, Kanyakumari, too.
Hanuman Prasad Poddar Award, Kolkata (1997), Amrita Keerti Puraskar, instituted by Mata Amritanandamayi Math (2002) and Hindu Renaissance Award (2010) are some of the notable awards Parameswarji has bagged. On top of all these, considering his enthusiasm in and endless efforts towards the national reconstruction on the traditional wisdom, the nation honored him with Padmavibhushan, the second-highest civilian award in 2018 and Padmashri in 2004.
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