P. Parameswaran | |
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| Born | (1927-10-03)3 October 1927 |
| Died | 9 February 2020(2020-02-09) (aged 92) Mayannur, Kerala, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Citizenship | Indian |
| Education | B.A. History,University College Trivandrum Predegree,St. Berchmans College Changanacherry |
| Known for | Hindutva thinker Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh Pracharak director of Bharatiya Vichara Kendra president ofVivekananda Kendra |
| Awards | Padma Vibhushan 2018 Padma Shri 2004 Amritha Keerti Puraskar 2002 |
| Website | http://www.vicharakendram.org/index.htm |
P. Parameswaran (3 October 1927 – 9 February 2020), often referred to asParameswarji, was aRashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)pracharak fromKerala, India who was erstwhile Vice‑President of theJan Sangh.[1]
He was president ofVivekananda Kendra, (which was awarded the 2015Gandhi Peace Prize) and has been conferred withPadma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award, in 2018.[2] He died on 9 February 2020 due to age-related illnesses[3][4]
Born in Thamarasseril Illam,Muhamma village inAlappuzha district in the year 1927, Parameswaran after his schooling at his birthplace, continued his studies atSt. Berchmans College,Changanacherry and graduated fromUniversity College,Thiruvananthapuram with distinctions in BA (Hons.) in History. From early childhood, he had a great inclination towards the study of Hinduism. He was intimately connected with most of the Hindu social and cultural organizations.[5]
He came into contact with theRashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) during his student days. He was also a disciple of Swami Agamananda. Parameswaran became anRSS pracharak (full-time organizer) in 1950, as per the direction ofM. S. Golwalkar (Guruji),[6] who was theSarsanghchalak of RSS. He served as organizing secretary ofBharatiya Jana Sangh in 1957. In 1968, he became an All‑India General Secretary and later Vice‑President of the Jan Sangh. He was jailed during theIndian Emergency (1975-1977). In 1977, Parameswaran moved from politics to the sphere of social thought and development. He worked as director based inNew Delhi forDeendayal Research Institute[7] an organisation started byNanaji Deshmukh for four years. P. Parameswaran, a bachelor, who didn't have a house of his own, was residing in the Vichara Kendram headquarters, Thiruvananthapuram.
In 1982, he came back to Kerala and gave shape to a new organization; Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram[8] aimed at national reconstruction through study and research. It has its headquarters inThiruvananthapuram and has units all over the state. He was the Director of Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram. He has also been associated with theVivekananda Rock Memorial[9] andVivekananda Kendra,[10]Kanyakumari and has served in various capacities in the governing body of the Kendra. He was the patron of Geetha Swadhyaya Samithi, which promotes the ideology of Bhagawad Geetha amongst youth.
He took initiation fromRamakrishna Mission and was a close associate and disciple of Swami Agamananda[11] social reformer and founder of Advaita Ashrama atKalady, the birthplace ofAdi Shankara.
He has written articles and books on social, cultural and religious themes. He has delivered lectures all over the country on national issues. He participated in the Centenary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda's address at theWorld Parliament of Religions held atChicago in [1893].[12]
In 1998, as an answer to the rising crime rate, delinquency and other social evils in Kerala, Sri. Parameswaran proposed observation of a 'Gita decade'. Popularizing theBhagavad Gita as a comprehensive life science was his solution to the social problems of Kerala and the whole of India. The recently conducted two‑day Gita Sangamam at Thrissur attracted around two thousand youths from all over Kerala. Eminent personalities likePadma Subrahmanyam, Justice Sukumaran etc. attended the function, which was formally inaugurated byAnanth Kumar, Union Minister for Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports. The programme of conducting one Gita Shibir in each panchayat of Kerala is on.
The International Seminar 'Bhagavad-Gita Gita and Modern problems' held at Thiruvananthapuram from 7 to 4 December 2000, in which 1500 youths, scholars and saints from all over India and abroad includingMurli Manohar Joshi, Union HRD Minister and theDalai Lama participated, was a high-water mark of the Gita Movement organized by the Gita Swadhaya Samithi under the guidance of P. Parameswaran.
Parameswaran was awarded theHanuman Prasad Poddar Award instituted by Bada Bazar Library of KolkataCalcutta in 1997, in recognition of his effort in teaching the lofty principles ofHinduism to the common man.
Parameswaran has won many awards and recognitions. He was appointed as the member of the Court (Senate) ofJawaharlal Nehru University,New Delhi in 2000.
He was awarded theAmrita Keerti Puraskar by SriMata Amritanandamayi Math on 26 September 2002, for outstanding service to the society.[13] In 2004, the President of India awarded him thePadma Shri in recognition of his valuable contributions to the society.[14] He has authored many books in Malayalam and English.
P. Parameswaran has authored several books on Indian philosophy and society. He was the editor of the magazines ‑Kesari (magazine)' and 'Manthan'. He was the editor of the monthly 'Yuva Bharathi' and the quarterly 'Vivekananda Kendra Patrilka'. He has written books onSri Aurobindo, Marx and Vivekananda,Chhatrapati Shivaji, andSwami Vivekananda's teachings. He also kept his close association with Sri Ramakrishna Math[15] and Advaita Ashram,Kalady. He was also the recipient ofPadma Vibhushan 2018.[16]
Sri. Parameswaran has authored several books on Indian philosophy and society. He was the editor of journals‑ 'Kesari (magazine)' and 'Manthan'. He was the editor of the monthly 'Yuva Bharathy' and the quarterly Vivekananda Kendra Patrilka and Chief Editor of 'Pragati' Quarterly Research Journal.
Books by him include:
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