NEW DELHI: Inaugurating the birth centenary-year celebrations of former Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) president Ashok Singhal on Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah described the Saffron leader’s life as an example of simplicity, patriotism, religious commitment and organisational discipline.
Shah said the year-long commemoration should take Singhal’s values and legacy, particularly his dedication to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, to the country’s youth.
Addressing the gathering, Shah said Singhal remained committed to his ideals throughout his life despite coming from an affluent and prestigious family. He recalled Singhal’s years as a Swayamsevak and Pracharak and his long association with the VHP, where he spent two decades working for causes he considered central to Hindu society.
The Home Minister highlighted the former VHP president’s role in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, saying the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya represented the culmination of a struggle that had continued for generations.
Shah also recalled an episode in which Singhal reached the frontline during a police lathi charge in Uttar Pradesh and was injured. He said the image of Singhal wiping blood from his face with a gamchha reflected his determination and commitment to the movement.
According to Shah, Singhal’s personal and public lives were inseparable. He worked for the nation without seeking publicity and regarded organisational responsibilities as a form of spiritual practice. He said Singhal’s reverence for Hindu Dharma, the Vedas, Upanishads, Sanskrit, Indian culture and the tradition of saints shaped his worldview.
Shah also stressed that the purpose of the centenary celebrations was not merely to remember Singhal, but to introduce his values and contributions to a new generation. He described remembrance of national and social figures as important to preserving sources of inspiration and preventing what he termed an “ideological vacuum” among young people.
The event also featured presentations on several service initiatives, including activities associated with temples linked to Saint Ravidas and Maharishi Valmiki, Ganga conservation and Ganga Aarti in Prayagraj, service to cows, the Ram Setu movement and artificial-limb distribution in Ayodhya. Eleven Shri Ram Stambhs, commemorating the route associated with Lord Ram’s exile, were also digitally inaugurated.
Shah noted that Singhal did not live to see either the Bhoomi Pujan or completion of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, despite devoting much of his life to the movement. He said Singhal had viewed the struggle as one that would span generations rather than one whose outcome had to be witnessed in his lifetime.
The Home Minister said the late VHP leader believed that the construction of the Ram temple would mark a new phase for India and enable the country’s cultural and civilisational traditions to gain wider recognition. He expressed the hope that the centenary year would ensure that Singhal’s life, contributions and values continue to be studied and remembered by young people for generations.