When we lost Madan Das Devi ji a few days ago, lakhs of karyakartas, including myself, were saddened beyond words. It’s a challenging reality to grapple with the idea that a personality as impactful as him is no longer among us. Yet, the knowledge that his influence will live on consoles us. His teachings and principles will be a beacon of inspiration and guidance in the journey ahead.
I had the privilege of working closely with Madan Das Ji over the years. I saw his simplicity and soft-spoken nature from close quarters. He was the quintessential organisational man, and I, too, spent a substantial time working in the organisation. So, it is natural that aspects relating to organisational development and growth of karyakartas are featured regularly in our conversations.
During one such conversation, I asked him where he hailed from. He told me he is from a village near Solapur, Maharashtra, though his ancestors were from Gujarat. But he was not aware of the exact place they were from. I told him I had a teacher with the surname Devi who belonged to Visnagar. Later on, he even visited Visnagar and Vadnagar. Our conversations also took place in Gujarati.
Among the many specialities of Madan Das Ji was his ability to go beyond words and understand the emotions behind those words. He could summarise hours-long discussions in just a few sentences.
His life journey illustrates the wonders one can achieve when the self is on the back burner and the collective gets prominence. A Chartered Accountant by training, he could have led a comfortable life, but his calling lay elsewhere, in shaping minds and working towards India’s development.
Madan Das Ji had unwavering faith in the youth of India. He could connect with youngsters across the length and breadth of the country. No wonder he immersed himself in strengthening the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad. One of his key influences in this journey was Yashwantrao Kelkar Ji. He deeply inspired him and would often talk about him. Madan Das Ji always emphasised involving more girl students in the working of the ABVP and empowering them with a platform to contribute to social welfare. He often said that when girl students are involved in any collective effort, that effort will always be more sensitive. For Madan Das Ji, affection for students was above everything else. He would always be among students, but, like a lotus in the water he would never involve himself in university politics.
I can think of several leaders who owe their rise in public life to the mentoring from Madan Das Ji during their younger days. But it was never in his nature to make tall claims about it.
Nowadays, the concepts of people management, talent management, and skill management are extremely popular. Madan Das Ji was an expert at understanding people and mapping their talents onto organisational goals. He was special because he understood people’s capabilities and assigned work based on that. He never sought to mould people as per his requirements. That is why Madan Das Ji was the obvious sounding board if any young karyakarta had a new idea. That is also why many people who worked with him were self-motivated to leave a mark based on their own strengths. Therefore, organisations grew massively under his leadership and remained cohesive and effective even as they became bigger in scale and scope.
Madan Das Ji had a packed travel schedule. Beyond his duties, he was selective when meeting people and was always well-prepared. But his programmes were always simple, never a burden on any karyakarta. This trait remained integral to him until the very end. He braved long illnesses, but when I would ask him about it, he would talk about it only after multiple enquiries. He would remain happy despite the physical pain. Even in illness, he continuously thought about what he could do for the country and society.
Madan Das Ji had a brilliant academic record, and this also shaped his meticulous way of working. A voracious reader, whenever he read something good, he would send it to the concerned person working in that domain. I have been fortunate to often receive such things. He had a sound understanding of economics and policy matters. He envisioned an India where no person depended on others, and each could stand on their own feet, empowered by opportunities for self-improvement and growth. Madan Das Ji envisioned an India where self-reliance was not just a goal but a lived reality for every citizen, with a society rooted in mutual respect, empowerment, and shared prosperity.
As India becomes increasingly self-reliant in various domains, nobody would be happier than him.
Today, when our democracy is vibrant, youth is confident, society is forward-looking, and the nation is brimming with hope and optimism, it is important to remember people like Madan Das Devi Ji, who dedicated their entire lives to service and putting the nation on such an upward trajectory.
Narendra Modi
Prime Minister of India