THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: R Hari, a prominent figure in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), passed away at the age of 93. He breathed his last at a private hospital in Ernakulam due to age-related illness.
Hari held the distinction of being the first pracharak from Kerala to ascend to the leadership position within the RSS. He also served as the RSS Akhila Bharathiya Pramukh. Known as Hari Eattan or Ranga Hariji, he was renowned as one of the most senior RSS propagandists and thinkers in the country.
Born on December 5, 1930, to Ranga Shenoy, a former assistant accountant at Tata Oil Mills, and Padmavathy of Tripunithura, Hari’s early education took place at St. Albert’s and Maharajas Colleges. He pursued his undergraduate studies in Economics before earning his master’s degree in Sanskrit.
Hari’s association with the RSS began during his college days, eventually leading to a full-time commitment to the organization. During the period of the internal emergency, he played a pivotal role in the covert operations of the RSS in Kerala, working alongside veteran leaders like K. Bhaskar Raoji and P. Madhavji. At that time, he was also responsible for the publication of “Kurukshetra,” a journal disseminating anti-Emergency news on behalf of the RSS.
In 1980, he was appointed as Kerala Pranta Boudhik Pramukh. His role continued to expand when he became the Pranta Pracharak in 1983, and later in 1990, he assumed the position of Akhil Bharatiya Saha Boudhik Pramukh, followed by Boudhik Pramukh in 1991.
Hari dedicated 15 years of his life serving as Boudhik Pramukh from 1990 to 2005. Additionally, from 1994 to 2005, he oversaw the activities of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh in Asia and Australia. In this international role, he traveled to 22 countries across five continents.
One of his notable international engagements was his participation in the 2001 Conference of Pre-Christian Religions held in Lithuania, a European country.
Hari was a prolific author, with 43 books in Malayalam to his name. He also authored 12 books in Hindi and 2 in English. Beyond his own works, he translated several books from Sanskrit, Hindi, and English into Malayalam.
Remarkably, R. Hari was proficient in 10 languages, including Malayalam, Konkani, Tamil, Hindi, Sanskrit, English, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, and Assamese.
Among his literary contributions, “Vyasabharathathile Draupadi,” authored by R. Hari, stands out as one of the most widely read books.
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