Thread by @sheshapatangi1

Did You Know That 200 RSS Volunteers Guarded Srianagar Airport When Pakistan Attacked Us In 1948?

Today is the Birth Anniversary of Balraj Madhok (25 Feb -1920 to 02 May 2016), the man who launched RSS in Jammu & Kashmir.
The man who was instrumental in launching ABVP.

Balraj Madhok was born in Skardu, Baltistan and spent early childhood at Jallen. He studied in Srinagar, the Prince of Wales College in Jammu and the Dayanand Anglo-Vedic College (DAV College) in Lahore, graduating with B. A. Honours in History in 1940

While studying at Jammu, Balraj joined RSS in 1938 & became a pracharak in 1942 & when he moved to Srinagar as lecturer in DAV College, he expanded RSS network in Kashmir Valley. When the Hindu refugees started arriving in Srinagar after the Partition, many also joined the RSS.

From these refugees Madhok gathered advance intelligence of the invasion by the Pakistani raiders on 21 October and passed it on to the authorities. On the request of Maharaja he mobilised 200 RSS volunteers to defend Srinagar airport on 23 October which turned out to be crucial

In Nov 1947, he found Praja Parishad Party. The party demanded the complete unification of Jammu Kashmir with India, in opposition to the loose autonomy negotiated between Abdullah and Nehru (Article 370), Madhok was banished from J&K by Sheikh Abdullah for his political stance

Madhok moved to Delhi,started teaching at Punjab University College established for Refugees, later moved to DAV college as lecturer.
In 1951, Balraj was instrumental in establishing ABVP. In 1951, Madhok joined Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and later established Bharatiya Jan Sangh.

23 April 1951 Bengal branch of BJS got established by S P Mukherjee and on 27 May 1951, BJS was established by Madhok at Delhi and Punjab.
In 1961, he entered Loksabha through Delhi.
In 1966-67 he became Jansangh President and under him it won 35 MP seats, the highest.

Madhok wanted to align with Rajaji's Swatantra party and also Congressmen who came out of Congress in 1969, Vajpayee was against this & Madhok got marginalised.
In 1973, L K Advani expelled Madhok for 3 years.
(Party with a difference, where else can we find expulsion of founder)

Madhok got arrested and was in jail for 18 months during emergency.
Coming out he joined Janata Party which in turn partnered with Jansangh.
Madhok resigned in 1979 & turned to revive Akhila Bharatiya Jana Sangh unsuccessfully.
Later he stopped politics and concentrated on

Writing books.
He authored many books which sheds light on what happened in Kashmir, the Muslims problem, the politics during Nehru Indira era and also he criticised Vajpayee, Advani and RSS for interfering in politics.
Balraj Madhok had married Kamala, a professor at DU.

He had 2 daughters, Balraj passed away in 2016.
He witnessed partition of his Janma Bhoomi (Baltistan), Karma Bhoomi (Kashmir) & also the party he founded.
Nevertheless, arranging 200 Swayamsevaks to guard against Pakistanis is the greatest achievement of his.
#Vandemataram.