This polyglot Rashtriya Swaymsevak Sangh (RSS) pracharak can fluently speak Kannada, Tamil, Hindi, English and Sanskrit. As a social activist, he vehemently opposed the Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi government. As a result, he was imprisoned for close to 15 months under the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA).
As an organiser, he helped strengthen the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and mentoring RSS activists overseas in the United States and the United Kingdom at the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh. We are talking about RSS's new Sarkaryavah (General Secretary) Dattatreya Hosabale.
Born in a small village in Karnataka, Hosabale will occupy the all-important number two position in the RSS for the next three years. Till now he was looking after the responsibilities as joint general secretary at the Lucknow centre.
Within the RSS, his colleagues respectfully like to address him as Dattaji. Holding a Masters degree in English Literature, Hosabale is known to take a keen interest in literary matters. An RSS office-bearer told IANS: "He took a keen interest in literary matters during his student life and is known to be close to almost all renowned writers and journalists in Karnataka, including YN Krishnamurthy and Gopal Krishna Adiga. He has also worked on a Kannada monthly journal."
Hosabale was born in a small village in Karnataka's Shimoga district in an RSS worker's family on December 1, 1954. He first got involved with the RSS in 1968 and went on to join the ABVP in 1972. Hosabale became a full-time ABVP functionary a few years later in 1978. He helped strengthen the ABVP as National General Secretary, Organisation, between 1992 and 2003.
Hosabale initially studied in his village and went to Bengaluru for higher studies and took admission in the renowned National College. He finished his MA in English from Bengaluru University.
Hosabale was particularly vocal as a social activist during the Emergency imposed by former PM Indira Gandhi. Between 1975 and 1977, he spent 16 months in prison under MISA.
A senior RSS functionary told IANS that Hosabale is known for using the energy of young people creatively. He has also worked a lot with the youth and helped play an important role in setting up the Youth Development Centre in Assam's Guwahati. He also helped set up the World Organization of Student and Youth.
Hosabale is known to possess a sharp intellect. That is why he was appointed co-in-charge of the RSS's intellectual wing in 2003.
In 2009, when Mohan Bhagwat became the RSS chief, Hosabale was appointed in his team as joint general secretary. After being in that important position for 12 years, on March 20, he was appointed Sarkaryavah (General Secretary) by consensus. Hosabale will replace Suresh 'Bhaiyyaji' Joshi.
Nagpur-based RSS ideologue Dilip Deodhar told IANS: "In the RSS the Sarsanghchalak plays the role of a navigator but it's the general secretary who looks after administrative matters of the organisation. The general secretary has the right to form his own team to run the organisation. The RSS was trying to mould Hosabale in this role for a long time. Now that the time is conducive, he has been given this all-important position."
