32 Facts About Nanaji Deshmukh

Chandikadas Amritrao Deshmukh BR, better known as Nanaji Deshmukh, was a social reformer and politician from India.

Nanaji Deshmukh worked in the fields of education, health, and rural self-reliance.

Nanaji Deshmukh was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award in 2019 by the Government of India.

Nanaji Deshmukh was a leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and a member of the Rajya Sabha.

Nanaji Deshmukh worked as a vegetable seller to raise money for his education.

Nanaji Deshmukh went to high school in Sikar, where the Raoraja of Sikar gave him a scholarship.

Nanaji Deshmukh rose to be the Saha Prant Pracharak of the whole of Uttar Pradesh.

Nanaji Deshmukh became inspired by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and his nationalist ideology, as well as showing an acquired interest in social service and activities.

Nanaji Deshmukh's family was in close contact with Keshav Baliram Hedgewar who was a regular visitor to Deshmukh's family.

Nanaji Deshmukh could discern potential in Nanaji and encouraged him to attend RSS shakhas.

Nanaji Deshmukh was among those who joined the RSS devoting their whole life in service to the nation.

Nanaji Deshmukh was sent to Uttar Pradesh as a Pracharak.

Later, Nanaji Deshmukh went to Gorakhpur as a pracharak to introduce Sangh ideology in the eastern UP.

Nanaji Deshmukh had to stay in a Dharmashala but had to keep on changing Dharmashalas as no one was allowed to stay there for more than three days consecutively.

Nanaji Deshmukh established India's first Saraswati Shishu Mandir at Gorakhpur in 1950.

Nanaji Deshmukh was asked by Golwalkar to take charge of Bharatiya Jana Sangh in Uttar Pradesh as its general secretary.

Nanaji Deshmukh always shared good relations not only with his party colleagues but with his opponents.

Gupta, who suffered many defeats at the hands of Nanaji Deshmukh, yet continued to have great respect for him and called him 'Nana Phadanvis'.

Lohia and Nanaji Deshmukh's association led to the first non-Congress coalition government in Uttar Pradesh after the 1967 state assembly election Desmukh actively participated in Bhoodan Movement started by Vinoba Bhave.

Later, Narayan himself and Morarji Desai, who became the Prime Minister heading the Janata Party Government offered him the Cabinet portfolio of Industry, but Nanaji Deshmukh spurned the overture.

Nanaji Deshmukh had won in the 1977 election held after revocation of the Emergency with a comfortable margin from Balrampur Lok Sabha constituency of Uttar Pradesh.

When Narayan gave the call for "Total Revolution" Nanaji Deshmukh responded by giving total support to this movement.

Nanaji Deshmukh was nominated to Rajya Sabha by the NDA Government in the year 1999 in recognition of his services to the nation.

Nanaji Deshmukh did work towards the anti-poverty and minimum needs programme.

Nanaji Deshmukh assumed chairmanship of the institute after leaving politics and devoted all his time to building up the institute.

Nanaji Deshmukh was instrumental in carrying out social restructuring programme in over 500 villages of both Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh states of India.

Nanaji Deshmukh established Chitrakoot Gramoday Vishwavidyalaya in Chitrakoot, India's first rural University, and served as its Chancellor.

Nanaji Deshmukh implemented the philosophy of integral humanism to improve the living standards of more than 150 villages of Bundelkhand.

Nanaji Deshmukh was awarded highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 2019, and second highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan in 1999.

Nanaji Deshmukh died on 27 February 2010 in the premises of Chitrakoot Gramoday Vishwavidyalaya that he established.

Nanaji Deshmukh was unwell for some time due to geriatric problems and had refused to be taken to Delhi for treatment.

Nanaji Deshmukh bequeathed his body to Dadhichi Dehdaan Sanstha of New Delhi which was accepted, and his body was sent to All India Institute of Medical Sciences for medical research.