Mahant Digvijaynath | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
| In office March 1967 – September 1969 | |
| Preceded by | Sinhasan Singh |
| Succeeded by | Mahant Avaidyanath |
| Constituency | Gorakhpur |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Swaroop Singh 1894 (1894) Kankarwa Thikana,Udaipur State,British India (present-dayUdaipur district,Rajasthan) |
| Died | 1969 (aged 74–75) Gorakhpur,Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Political party | Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha |
| Other political affiliations | Indian National Congress(1920-1922)[1] |
| Occupation | Politician, monk |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Denomination | Shaivism |
| Temple | Gorakhnath Math |
| School | Yoga |
| Lineage | Guru Gorakhnath |
| Sect | Nath Sampradaya |
| Religious career | |
| Guru | Baba Brahmanath |
| Post | Mahant |
| Predecessor | Baba Brahmanath |
| Successor | Mahant Avaidyanath |
Disciples | |
Mahant Digvijaynath (bornSwaroop Singh Ranawat; 1894–1969)[2] was themahant (lit. 'head priest'), of theGorakhnath Math inGorakhpur, India. He was also aHindu nationalist activist and a politician of theHindu Mahasabha, who was arrested for inflaming passions among Hindus againstMahatma Gandhi. Nath played a leading role in theRam Janmabhoomi movement in 1949, which culminated in the appearance ofRama idols inside theBabri Masjid, in an effort to revive theHindu Mahasabha after its implication in the Gandhi assassination. Nath was elected as theMP forGorakhpur in 1967 on a Hindu Mahasabha ticket.[1]
Digvijaynath was born Swaroop 'Nanhu' Singh in 1894 in Kankarwa Thikana (Mewar) of (Udaipur),Rajasthan in a Viramdevot RanawatRajput family. His mother (an Udawat Rathore Rajput from Kundoj, Ajmer) died when he was 8 years old. His father was Rawat Thakur Uday Singhji of Kankarwa, President of the Mewar Presidency Council (Mahendraj Sabha). He was given away to aNath yogi called Phulnath, who took him to theGorakhnath Math in Gorakhpur. He grew up in a monastery and went to study at St. Andrews College in Gorakhpur. He was an average student but excelled in sports, especially, hockey, horse-riding, and tennis. In 1920, he left his education to take part in politics.[3]
In 1932, Baba Brahmanath became the mahant of the Gorakhnath Math and initiated him into the Nath tradition. After his death in 1935, the leadership of the math passed to Digvijaynath, who was anointed as the mahant on 15 August 1935. Despite being a mahant, Nath continued his pastime of playing lawn tennis as well as his political activities.[clarification needed] The Gorakhnath math is traditionally venerated by both Hindus and Muslims, especially in lower caste communities.
Digvijaynath was succeeded byMahant Avaidyanath as the head ofGorakhnath Math in 1969.[4]
Digvijaynath joined theCongress in 1920, and participated in thenon-cooperation movement in 1922. He was arrested for taking an "active part" in theChauri Chaura incident where a police station was burnt down, killing 23 policemen, causingMahatma Gandhi to abort the movement.[1]
Nath joined theHindu Mahasabha in 1937 whenV. D. Savarkar became its President, and rose to become the head of the party in theUnited Provinces.[1] His status as the mahant of the Gorakhpur Math as well as his political acumen helped him rise fast. He was radically anti-Muslim. He toldThe Statesman in 1952 that, if the Hindu Mahasabha attained power, it would deprive the Muslims of the right to vote for five to ten years, until they proved "their loyalty to India."[5] He incited Hindus to kill Mahatma Gandhi in a public meeting on 27 January 1948, three days before the actual assassination. He was subsequently arrested, along with Professor Ram Singh andV. G. Deshpande, but released after 9 months.[6]
Soon after his release from prison, Digvijaynath started making plans to revive the Hindu Mahasabha, which had invited the public's revulsion for its role in the assassination of Gandhi. The capture of theBabri Masjid inAyodhya was a key plank of his plan.
He was elected to Lok Sabha in 1967 General election fromGorakhpur. He died mid-term in 1969.[citation needed]