Senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ideologue M.G. Vaidya, 97, died of old age complications on December 19, 2020. He was a former editor of pro-RSS Marathi daily, Tarun Bharat, and served as RSS spokesperson and bouddhik pramukh (intellectual wing chief). He was one of the last surviving RSS ideologues to have witnessed the rise of the Sangh since its inception in 1925. He was an incisive analyst of politics and the society. He believed that he was in the Sangh and the Sangh was in him.
His Works Vaidyaji had initially served as a teacher in school and college, and then quit his job as professor of Sanskrit in Christian missionary-run Hislop College of Nagpur in 1966. He was also a member of Maharashtra’s Legislative Council between 1978 and 1984.
He shouldered important responsibilities like ‘Akhil Bharatiya Baudhik Pramukh’ (all India head for intellectual activities), ‘Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh’ (all India head for media and publicity), and national spokesperson of the RSS. He played a key role during the tenure of fifth RSS sarsanghchalak K.S. Sudarshan, setting up meetings between him and Christian religious leaders. Till 2008, he was an invitee to Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal, a highest decision-making body of the RSS.
He has 20 books to his credit most of which explain the Hindutva ideology. His column, Bhashya, in Tarun Bharat ran for 25 years at a stretch, and is considered one of the longest-serving newspaper columns.