On Vijayadashami 1961, M. S. Golwalkar gave the annual address at the gathering in Nagpur. This page summarises what was reported about it.
The day
- Date: 19 October 1961 — the calendar date of Vijayadashami; our sources do not record the exact day of the gathering
- Place: Nagpur
- Address by: M. S. Golwalkar
What the address covered
In the Shastrapujan address, as summarised in Shri Guruji Samagra, Golwalkar said talk of 'minorities' and 'majorities' blocked national integration. He took up Nehru's remark that Rajputs descend from Shakas and Huns to argue that Muslims and Christians too should merge into the national mainstream. In the Vijayadashami address he spoke of riots in Uttar Pradesh, including at Aligarh Muslim University. He blamed government appeasement and warned of preparations he said were worse than those of 1946-47. He claimed he had predicted Chinese aggression and urged a stronger organisation.
Context
National-integration debate of 1961; Aligarh riots.
How sure is this?
This account rests mainly on one source, listed below; details may be incomplete. For these years the main source is the organisation's own compilation of Golwalkar's talks (Shri Guruji Samagra), which prints edited summaries rather than verbatim transcripts.
In the archive
Sources & copyright status
- Shri Guruji Samagra Vol. 5, 'Shastrapujan 1961' and 'Vijayadashami 1961'
- Historical facts: not subject to copyright. Quotations are short extracts as reported in the sources cited; speeches are summarised in our own words.
- Commentary and translations on this page: original to The Hindu Book. © The Hindu Book, all rights reserved.
The Hindu Book is an independent educational platform. It is not affiliated with any political party, religious organisation or movement, and nothing here implies endorsement by any organisation. This page is published for education and review. If you hold rights in any material quoted here, or believe a source is misrepresented, please write to [email protected].