JALGAON ( VIKRANT RAY )- Jalgaon buzzed with excitement this Thursday, its streets alive with saffron flags and the spirit of celebration. This year’s Vijayadashami was different—a landmark event that marked 100 years of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its unwavering dedication to the nation. In the crowd, generations of swayamsevaks stood side by side, their hearts brimming with pride. Among them shone the humble but legendary Parshuram Kashinath Zare, endearingly called Madhu.
At 91, Zare returned to the annual gathering not as a guest, but as living history. Long before the city called him Mayor, he was simply a young swayamsevak, drawn into the RSS’s fold in 1947. Those early days were filled with purpose: collecting village signatures opposing cow slaughter during the Goraksha movement of 1952 and tirelessly helping organize Guruji M. S. Golwalkar’s birthday celebrations. He even met Guruji himself in Bhusawal—a moment etched in his memory. “Guruji taught us to connect with all people, beyond caste and religion,” Zare reminisced.
Though his education beckoned him to Pune, Zare’s heart belonged in Jalgaon. He began teaching, yes, but his life’s pulse beat in service of the Sangh. By 1961, his dedication propelled him to Sanghatan Mantri for the Jan Sangh; his work stretched across Bhusawal, Nashirabad, and Jalgaon. As his contacts grew, so did his responsibilities. In 1967, Zare bravely contested the Assembly election, donning the Jan Sangh badge. Just a year later, Jalgaon made history—Zare was elected Mayor.
His time as Mayor left a legacy that still shapes the city. He set the path for the Ganesh Visarjan procession in 1967, a tradition still followed today. His home and office hosted the era’s visionaries: Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, Gajananrao Joshi, and Atal Bihari Vajpayee himself, to whom Zare gifted a pushkaraj (yellow sapphire) ring—a gesture of respect and tradition.
Time did not slow Zare’s spirit. Even in later years, during Gajananrao Sarode’s leadership in 1991, Madhu remained an energetic presence, always guided by Dr. K. B. Hedgewar’s founding ideals: unity, brotherhood, service. “The Sangh never teaches hatred,” Zare would say, “Its true mission is to unite all Hindus and serve the nation.” Today, as the RSS enters its centenary, Zare stands as living proof of an enduring legacy.
