RSS Chief Balasaheb Devras’s Letter to Shankarraoji Chavan During Emergency (24-11-1975)

 RSS Chief Balasaheb Devras’s Letter to Shankarraoji Chavan During Emergency (24-11-1975)



Balasaheb Deoras wrote to Chavan on 24 November 1975. This letters urged Chavan to intercede with Indira Gandhi for the removal of the ban and emphasized the RSS's non-political, constructive nature. Like other letter, he reiterated offers of cooperation for national programs (e.g., 20-point programme) if the ban was lifted in this letter.

The original letters (or copies) were reportedly appended in works like Hindu Sangathan aur Sattavadi Rajneeti by Balasaheb Deoras. For primary sources, archival research (Maharashtra Assembly records or RSS publications) would be needed.

Letter

22-8-1975

Hon’ble Shankarraoji Chavan

Chief Minister, Maharashtra, Bombay.

I had written a letter to the Prime Minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi on 22-8-1975 from Yeravada jail. I now learn that the letter was forwarded to Delhi by your home department on 9-9-1975.

Since then, I have written another letter to Mrs. Indira Gandhi on 10-11-1975. On inquiring from the jail officials, I learn that my second letter has still not been sent on to the Prime Minister.

Really speaking, my letters from jail addressed to the Prime Minister should go directly to her. Any citizen should be free to write directly to the Prime Minister. Even if my letter has had to be sent to the state home department in accordance with its rules, it should be possible to have it forwarded to Delhi in not more than two, or three days, considering that it will take a day to reach Bombay from Pune.

May I request you to go into this question personally? I will be obliged if you let me know what action is being taken in this connection.

With best wishes and regards,

Yours (Sd/-)

Madhukar Dattatreya Deoras 

Chief Organiser, Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh.

Yeravada Central Jail, Pune-6.

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V.N. Bhide’s Correspondence during the Emergency with S.B. Chavan (15-7-75)

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 V.N. Bhide’s Correspondence during the Emergency with S.B. Chavan  (15-7-75) V.N. Bhide (also referred to as Baba Bhide or an RSS advocate/lawyer, detained as Detenu No. 2181 in Nasik Central Jail) corresponded with S.B. Chavan, who was Chief Minister of Maharashtra during the Emergency (1975–1977). This exchange occurred in the context of the ban on the RSS, mass detentions of its members and other opposition figures under laws like MISA, and efforts by some RSS leaders (including Balasaheb Deoras) to seek dialogue, undertakings for release, and lifting of the ban. This letter was reportedly written on Deoras’s instructions or in coordination with RSS leadership efforts.  Full original letters were documented in legislative records and critiqued in post-Emergency writings. The episode is often discussed in histories of the Emergency and RSS’s role during that period. For primary archival material, Maharashtra Assembly records from 1977 or RSS-related archives would be t...
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