Veteran RSS leader, ideologue R Hari dies

Kochi: Veteran RSS leader and former Boudhik Pramukh of the organisation R Hari died at a private hospital here following age-related ailments, RSS sources said.

The 93-year-old RSS pracharak was also an ideologue, a prolific author and a social activist.

Ranga Hari, popularly known as Hari 'Eattan' (elder brother) or Hariji among Sangh workers, was a revered leader and thinker who had dedicated his life to the Sangh Parivar and the propagation of its ideology.

He was the first pracharak from the state to assume the top leadership position in the RSS.

Hari, who hailed from Ernakulam district in the state, had been an active participant of RSS programmes and activities since his college days.

A postgraduate in Sanskrit, he eventually became a full-time Sangh worker in the later years of his life.

He also helmed the publication 'Kurukshetra', a prominent Sangh journal.

After serving in various roles at the state and national levels within the RSS, he served as the Akhila Bharatiya Boudhik Pramukh of the organisation for 15 years from 1990.

He also supervised the activities of the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh in Asia and Australia.

An author of 43 books in Malayalam, he also penned 11 books in Hindi and 2 books in English.

Well-versed in multiple languages, including Hindi, Sanskrit, Gujarati, Tamil, Bengali, and Assamese besides Malayalam and English, Hari also translated several books in various languages into his mother tongue, Malayalam.

Condoling his death, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Hari devoted his entire life to the service of humanity, nation-building, and ideology.

"Deeply saddened by the passing of the former Akhil Bharatiya Boudhik Pramukh of the RSS, Ranga Hari Ji. Late Hari Ji devoted his entire life to the service of humanity, nation-building, and ideology. He motivated several young swayamsevaks to contribute towards the motherland."

"His demise is an irreparable loss to the organisation. I pray to the Almighty for his eternal peace. Om Shanti Shanti!," Shah said in a post on social media platform X.

Kerala BJP chief K Surendran was also among those who condoled his death.