2017-10-11 Wed

India post and PM Shri Narendra Modi launched special stamps to observe the birth centenary of Nanaji Deshmukh today.

Chandikadas Amritrao Deshmukh or Nanaji Deshmukh (11 October 1916 – 27 February 2010) was a social activist who worked in the field of education, health, and rural self-reliance. He has received Padma Vibhushan in 1999 for his contributions towards the society. He was a leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh as well as a member of the Rajya Sabha.

Born on 11th October 1916 in Kadoli, Hingoli district, Maharashtra, Deshmukh lost his parents when he was very young. Maharaja of Sikar gave him a scholarship for pursuing his education. He studied at Birla College and joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in the same year.

Deshmukh was inspired by Lokamanya Tilak’s nationalist ideology. In 1947, he became the managing director of two journals Rashtradharma, Panchjanya and a newspaper called Swadesh. The publication was banned after Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. When the ban was lifted, Deshmukh became the general secretary of Bharatiya Jana Sangh. By 1957, he became a powerful politician in UP.

Deshmukh actively participated in Bhoodan Movement that was initiated by Vinoba Bhave. He won the 1977 election comfortably from Balrampur Lok Sabha constituency. He retired from politics in 1980 and devoted himself completely to social work. He supported Narayan’s call for "Total Revolution". Deshmukh was one of its main architects of Janata Party. He was nominated to Rajya Sabha by the NDA Government in 1999.

He later served Deendayal Research Institute that he had established in 1969. He contributed greatly towards anti-poverty, minimum needs programme, agriculture and cottage industry, rural health and rural education. He published "Manthan" which was edited by K.R. Malkani for many years.

Deshmukh did a lot of social work in Gonda and Beed. He finally settled in Chitrakoot which he had visited for the first time in 1969. He was shocked to see the appalling state of society. He also established India's first rural University Chitrakoot Gramoday Vishwavidyalaya. Nanaji implemented integral humanism to improve the state of 150 villages in Bundelkhand.

Deendayal Research Institute (DRI) was founded in 1972 by Deshmukh on the philosophy of Integral Humanism introduced by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. He started a sustainable and replicable program for the development of rural areas in the field of health, hygiene, education, agriculture, income generation, conservation of resources, and social conscience. The ideology behind this project was 'Total transformation through total development with people's initiative and participation'.

On 26th January 2005, Chitrakoot Project or the 'Campaign for Self-Reliance’ was launched in 80 villages on the border of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The idea was to make these villages self-reliant by 2005.

Deshmukh died on 27 February 2010 in Chitrakoot Gramoday Vishwavidyalaya. His body was donated to Dadhichi Dehdaan Sanstha of New Delhi and was sent to All India Institute of Medical Sciences for medical research.