P. Parameswaran (3 October 1927 – 9 February 2020), often referred to as Parameswarji, was a

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( ; , , ) is an Indian right-wing, Hindu nationalist, paramilitary volunteer organisation. The RSS is the progenitor and leader of a large body of organisations called the Sangh Parivar (Hindi for "Sangh family ...

(RSS) ''pracharak'' from

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...

, India who was erstwhile Vice‑President of the Jan Sangh. He was president of

Vivekananda Kendra __NOTOC__ Vivekananda Kendra is a Hindu nationalist social service and "nation-building" organisation, claiming to represent the heritage of Swami Vivekananda. Closely affiliated with Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the organisation is based near th ...

, (which was awarded the 2015

Gandhi Peace Prize The International Gandhi Peace Prize, named after Mahatma Gandhi, is awarded annually by the Government of India. As a tribute to the ideals espoused by Gandhi, the Government of India launched the International Gandhi Peace Prize in 1995 on t ...

) and has been conferred with

Padma Vibhushan The Padma Vibhushan ("Lotus Decoration") is the second-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "exceptional and distinguished service". All persons without ...

, India's second highest civilian award, in 2018. He died on 9 February 2020 due to age-related illnesses

Childhood

Born in Thamarasseril Illam,

Muhamma Muhamma is a census town in Cherthala Taluk in Alappuzha district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Kerala. It is home to Cheerappanchira kalari, where Lord Ayyappa of Sabarimala had his training in the martial arts. Cheera ...

village in Alappuzha district in the year 1927, Parameswaran after his schooling at his birthplace, continued his studies at

St. Berchmans College St. Berchmans College, Changanassery (Autonomous), also known as SB College, is one of the first Autonomous Colleges in Kerala. One of the most famous colleges in India, the college has a strength of 3000 students with 800 hostlers. Currently, ...

Changanacherry Changanassery or Changanacherry is a municipal town in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India. History The first recorded history on the origin of Changanacherry is obtained from Sangam period literature. According to Sangam era d ...

and graduated from

University College In a number of countries, a university college is a college institution that provides tertiary education but does not have full or independent university status. A university college is often part of a larger university. The precise usage varies ...

Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...

with distinctions in BA (Hons.) in History. From early childhood, he had a great inclination towards the study of Hinduism. He was intimately connected with most of the Hindu social and cultural organizations.

Ideology

He came into contact with the

(RSS) during his student days. He was also a disciple of Swami Agamananda. Parameswaran became an

RSS pracharak The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( ; , , ) is an Indian right-wing, Hindu nationalist, paramilitary volunteer organisation. The RSS is the progenitor and leader of a large body of organisations called the Sangh Parivar ( Hindi for "Sangh famil ...

(full-time organizer) in 1950, as per the direction of M. S. Golwalkar ( Guruji), who was the

Sarsanghchalak The Sarsanghchalak (IAST: Sarasanghacālaka) is the head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), an Indian right-wing, Hindu nationalist organisation that is widely regarded as the parent organisation of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The RSS is on ...

of RSS. He served as organizing secretary of

Bharatiya Jana Sangh The Bharatiya Jana Sangh ( BJS or JS, short name: Jan Sangh, full name: Akhil Bharatiya Jana Sangh; ) ( ISO 15919: '' Akhila Bhāratīya Jana Saṅgha '' ) was an Indian right wing political party that existed from 1951 to 1977 and was the po ...

in 1957. In 1968, he became an All‑India General Secretary and later Vice‑President of the Jan Sangh. He was jailed during the Indian Emergency (1975-1977). In 1977, Parameswaran moved from politics to the sphere of social thought and development. He worked as director based in

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Hous ...

for Deendayal Research Institute an organisation started by

Nanaji Deshmukh Chandikadas Amritrao Deshmukh, better known as Nanaji Deshmukh (11 October 1916 – 27 February 2010), was a social reformer and politician from India. He worked in the fields of education, health, and rural self-reliance. He was posthumously aw ...

for four years. P. Parameswaran, a bachelor, who didn't have a house of his own, was residing in the Vichara Kendram headquarters, Thiruvananthapuram. In 1982, he came back to Kerala and gave shape to a new organization; Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram aimed at national reconstruction through study and research. It has its headquarters in

and has units all over the state. He was the Director of Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram. He has also been associated with the

Vivekananda Rock Memorial Vivekananda Rock Memorial is a monument and popular tourist attraction in Kanyakumari, India's southernmost tip. The memorial stands on one of the two rocks located about 500 meters off mainland of Vavathurai. It was built in 1970 in honour o ...

and

Kanyakumari Kanniyakumari (; , referring to Devi Kanya Kumari), also known as Cape Comorin, is a city in Kanniyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It is the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent and the southernmost city in mainland Ind ...

and has served in various capacities in the governing body of the Kendra. He was the patron of Geetha Swadhyaya Samithi, which promotes the ideology of Bhagawad Geetha amongst youth. He took initiation from

Ramakrishna Mission Ramakrishna Mission (RKM) is a Hindu religious and spiritual organisation which forms the core of a worldwide spiritual movement known as the ''Ramakrishna Movement'' or the ''Vedanta Movement''. The mission is named after and inspired by th ...

and was a close associate and disciple of Swami Agamananda social reformer and founder of Advaita Ashrama at

Kalady Kalady or Kaladi is a town located between Angamaly and Perumbavoor, east of the Periyar river, near to Malayattoor in Ernakulam district of Kerala, India, not far from Cochin International Airport. It is notable as the birthplace of 9th ce ...

, the birthplace of

Adi Shankara Adi Shankara ("first Shankara," to distinguish him from other Shankaras)(8th cent. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya ( sa, आदि शङ्कर, आदि शङ्कराचार्य, Ādi Śaṅkarācāryaḥ, lit=First Shanka ...

. He has written articles and books on social, cultural and religious themes. He has delivered lectures all over the country on national issues. He participated in the Centenary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda's address at the

World Parliament of Religions There have been several meetings referred to as a Parliament of the World's Religions, the first being the World's Parliament of Religions of 1893, which was an attempt to create a global dialogue of faiths. The event was celebrated by another c ...

held at

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

in 893

Social thought

In 1998, as an answer to the rising crime rate, delinquency and other social evils in Kerala, Sri. Parameswaran proposed observation of a 'Gita decade'. Popularizing the

Bhagavad Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' ( ...

as a comprehensive life science was his solution to the social problems of Kerala and the whole of India. The recently conducted two‑day Gita Sangamam at Thrissur attracted around two thousand youths from all over Kerala. Eminent personalities like Padma Subrahmanyam, Justice Sukumaran etc. attended the function, which was formally inaugurated by

Ananth Kumar Hegannahalli Narayana Shastry Ananth Kumar (22 July 1959 – 12 November 2018) was an Indian politician affiliated with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He was the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Min ...

, Union Minister for Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports. The programme of conducting one Gita Shibir in each panchayat of Kerala is on. The International Seminar 'Bhagavad-Gita Gita and Modern problems' held at Thiruvananthapuram from 7 to 4 December 2000, in which 1500 youths, scholars and saints from all over India and abroad including

Murli Manohar Joshi Murli Manohar Joshi (born 5 January 1934) is an Indian politician. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of which he was the President between 1991 and 1993, and the former Member of parliament (India), Member of Parliament for ...

, Union HRD Minister and the

Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current D ...

participated, was a high-water mark of the Gita Movement organized by the Gita Swadhaya Samithi under the guidance of P. Parameswaran.

Awards and recognition

Parameswaran was awarded the

Hanuman Prasad Poddar Hanuman Prasad Poddar (1892–1971) was an Indian independence activist, littérateur, magazine editor and philanthropist. He was the founding editor of the spiritual magazine, Kalyan which was published by Gita Press setup by Ghanshyam Jalan a ...

Award instituted by Bada Bazar Library of Kolkata

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, commer ...

in 1997, in recognition of his effort in teaching the lofty principles of

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

to the common man. Parameswaran has won many awards and recognitions. He was appointed as the member of the Court (Senate) of

Jawaharlal Nehru University Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is a public major research university located in New Delhi, India. It was established in 1969 and named after Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. The university is known for leading faculties an ...

in 2000. He was awarded the Amritha Keerti Puraskar by Sri

Mata Amritanandamayi Math The Mata Amritanandamayi Math (MAM) is an international charitable organization aimed at the spiritual and material upliftment of humankind. It was founded by Indian spiritual leader and humanitarian Mata Amritanandamayi in 1981, with its headq ...

on 26 September 2002, for outstanding service to the society. In 2004, the President of India awarded him the

Padma Shri Padma Shri ( IAST: ''padma śrī''), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is conf ...

in recognition of his valuable contributions to the society. He has authored many books in Malayalam and English. P. Parameswaran has authored several books on Indian philosophy and society. He was the editor of the magazines ‑ '' Kesari (magazine)' and 'Manthan'. He was the editor of the monthly 'Yuva Bharathi' and the quarterly 'Vivekananda Kendra Patrilka'. He has written books on

Sri Aurobindo Sri Aurobindo (born Aurobindo Ghose; 15 August 1872 – 5 December 1950) was an Indian philosopher, yogi, maharishi, poet, and Indian nationalist. He was also a journalist, editing newspapers such as ''Vande Mataram''. He joined the ...

, Marx and Vivekananda,

Chhatrapati Shivaji Shivaji Bhonsale I (; 19 February 1630 – 3 April 1680), also referred to as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was an Indian ruler and a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan. Shivaji carved out his own independent kingdom from the declining Adilsh ...

, and

Swami Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda (; ; 12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta (), was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the intr ...

's teachings. He also kept his close association with Sri Ramakrishna Math and Advaita Ashram,

. He was also the recipient of

2018. *2004 -

*2018 -

Works

Sri. Parameswaran has authored several books on Indian philosophy and society. He was the editor of journals‑ ' Kesari (magazine)' and 'Manthan'. He was the editor of the monthly 'Yuva Bharathy' and the quarterly Vivekananda Kendra Patrilka and Chief Editor of 'Pragati' Quarterly Research Journal. Books by him include: # Sri

Narayana Guru Narayana Guru, , (20 August 1856 – 20 September 1928) was a philosopher, spiritual leader and social reformer in India. He led a reform movement against the injustice in the caste-ridden society of Kerala in order to promote spiritu ...

the Prophet of Renaissance. # Sri Aravindan Bhaviyude Darsanikan. # Vishwa Vijayi Vivekanandan. #

Marx Karl Heinrich Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist, critic of political economy, and socialist revolutionary. His best-known titles are the 1848 ...

and

Vivekananda Swami Vivekananda (; ; 12 January 1863 – 4 July 1902), born Narendranath Datta (), was an Indian Hindu monk, philosopher, author, religious teacher, and the chief disciple of the Indian mystic Ramakrishna. He was a key figure in the intr ...

. # From

to Maharshi. #

– Vision of a New World Order. # Beyond All Isms to Humanism. # Heart Beats of a Hindu Nation (Compilation of selected editorials in Yuva Bharathy). # Yajna Prasadam (Selected Poems). # Disabodhathinate Darshanam (Selected Essays in Malayalam). #

Bhagavad-Gita The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic '' Mahabharata'' (c ...

The Nectar of Immortality (Collection of Essays on Gita). # Marunna Samoohavum Maratha Mulyangalum. # Gita's Vision Of An Ideal Society # Udharedathmanathmanam # Makarajyotis(A brief study of Swami Vivekananda in Malayalam) # Darshanasamvadam # Swanthantra Bharatham-Gatiyum Niyathiyum # Hindudarmavum Indian communisavum # Vivekanandanum Prabhudha Keralavum (Edited) # Hindutva Ideology – Unique and Universal # Heart Beats of Hindu Nation (3 volumes)

References

External links

Speech at Mata Amitrananda Mayi madom
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Parameswaran, P. 1927 births 2020 deaths 20th-century Indian philosophers Kerala politicians Recipients of the Padma Shri in literature & education People from Alappuzha district Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh pracharaks Bharatiya Jana Sangh politicians Indians imprisoned during the Emergency (India) Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in literature & education