https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Ashok_SinghalAshok Singhal - Revision history2026-07-31T01:58:11ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Ashok_Singhal&diff=265482&oldid=prev->Rlink2 at 21:17, 27 November 20212021-11-27T21:17:06Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indian Activist and Leader of Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP)}}{{for|the politician|Ashok Singhal (politician)}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2019}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2019}}<br />
{{Infobox person<br />
| name = Ashok Singhal <br />
| native_name =<br />
| native_name_lang = <br />
| image = Ashok_Singhal.jpg<br />
| caption = <br />
| birth_name = <br />
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1926|9|27|df=y}}<br />
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2015|11|17|1926|9|15|df=y}}<br />
| birth_place = [[Agra]], [[United Provinces of British India|United Provinces]], [[British India]]<br />
| death_place = [[Gurgaon]], [[Haryana]], [[India]]<br />
| nationality = [[India]]n<br />
| occupation = Leader of [[Vishva Hindu Parishad]] <br />
| other_names = <br />
| alma_mater = [[Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi|IIT-BHU]]<br />
| years_active = <br />
| awards = Dharmashree Award <br />
| website = <br />
| footnotes =<br />
}}<br />
'''Hindu Hriday Samrat'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatv.in/india/national-vhp-senior-leader-ashok-singhal-passes-away-3691.html|publisher= IndiaTV news desk|title=नहीं रहे हिंदू हृदय सम्राट अशोक सिंघल, ट्विटर पर मना शोक|access-date=2015-11-17|language=hi}}</ref> '''Ashok Singhal''' (27 September 1926 – 17 November 2015) was the international working president of the Hindu organisation [[Vishva Hindu Parishad]] (VHP) for over 20 years and in charge of the [[Ayodhya]] [[Ram Janmabhoomi movement]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Seetapati|first1=Vinay|title=Personal doctor says Narasimha Rao's reaction to Babri demolition was honest agitation|url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/babri-masjid-p-v-narasimha-rao-vishwa-hindu-parishad-vhp-along-with-babri-it-was-me-they-were-trying-to-demolish-2875958/|access-date=12 June 2017|publisher=The Indian Express|date=26 June 2016}}</ref> He was replaced in the [[Vishva Hindu Parishad]] in December [[2011]] following a long bout of diminishing physical health.<ref>{{cite news |title=Veteran VHP leader Ashok Singhal replaced as VHP Int.president |agency=Press Trust of India |location=Kochi |date=20 December 2011 |url=http://www.indianexpress.com/news/veteran-vhp-leader-ashok-singhal-replaced-as-vhp-int.president/889760/ |publisher=Indian Express |access-date=2012-03-26}}</ref> Succeeded by [[Praveen Togadia]], Singhal suffered ill-health but was working till a month before his death.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1111220/jsp/nation/story_14904643.jsp#.T3CB6OJ5a9U |title=Change in VHP sweet for Sangh |first=Radhika |last=Ramaseshan |location=Kolkata |publisher=The Telegraph |date=20 December 2011 |access-date=2012-03-26}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Life==<br />
Singhal was born in Agra. His father Mr Mahavir Singh Singhal(Vill Bijoli Aligarh) was an ICS (Indian Civil Service) government official.<ref name=WSJ><br />
{{cite web |first1=Krishna |last1=Pokharel |first2=Paul |last2=Beckett |title=Ayodhya: The Battle for India's Soul |url=https://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/AyodhyaFinalSeries.pdf |publisher=The Wall Street Journal |access-date=2014-09-03}}<br />
</ref> He had six brothers. His elder brothers were Vinod P Singhal Retd as Chief Secretary State or Tripura, Pramod P Singhal a businessman based in Udaipur, Anand P Singhal a senior officer in the Defence Ministry and his younger brothers were, BP Singhal, former [[Director general of police|DGP]], UP Police and BJP Rajya Sabha MP, Piyush Singhal a businessman based in Mumbai and Vivek Singhal a businessman based in Delhi.<br />
Singhal received a bachelor's degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the [[Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi|Benaras Hindu University Institute of Technology]] in 1950.<ref name=gau><br />
{{cite news |title=Gau Bhakti will lead to good governance, Ashok Singhal |newspaper=DNA India |date=1 Sep 2013 |access-date=2014-09-01 |url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/interview-gau-bhakti-will-lead-to-good-governance-ashok-singhal-1882577}}<br />
</ref><br />
<br />
Singhal was a trained vocalist in [[Hindustani music]]. He studied under [[Omkarnath Thakur|Pandit Omkarnath Thakur]].<ref name=brothers/><br />
<br />
He died on 17 November 2015 at [[Medanta]] Medicity hospital in Gurgaon, aged 89.<br />
On 1 October 2015, the book '''Hindutva Ke Purodha''' was released and officially launched by the then [[Minister of Home Affairs (India)|Home Minister of India]], [[Rajnath Singh]]. The book describes all dedications to his political party and India. This was written by Mahesh Bhagchandaka.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ashoksinghalbook.in/|title=Hidutva ke Purodha|date=1 October 2015|access-date=17 August 2017}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Career==<br />
===Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh===<br />
Ashok Singhal joined [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS) in 1942 under tutelage of [[Balasaheb Deoras]]. After obtaining a degree in Engineering, he opted to become a full-time [[RSS pracharak|pracharak]]. He worked in various locations around [[Uttar Pradesh]], becoming a ''[[prant]] pracharak'' for Delhi and Haryana. In 1980, he was deputed to the VHP, becoming its joint general secretary. In 1984, he became its general secretary and, later, the working president, a role in which he continued till 2011.<ref name="brothers">{{cite news<br />
|title=Band of Brothers <br />
|newspaper=Express India <br />
|date=17 Mar 2002 <br />
|access-date=2014-09-03 <br />
|url=http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/news/flair/20020317/1.html<br />
|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140903163246/http://expressindia.indianexpress.com/news/flair/20020317/1.html<br />
|url-status=dead<br />
|archive-date=3 September 2014<br />
}}<br />
</ref><br />
<br />
===Vishva Hindu Parishad===<br />
After the [[Meenakshipuram conversions]] in 1981, Singhal moved to the VHP as the joint general secretary. After noting the main grievance of the [[Dalit]] communities in the area as being access to temples, VHP built 200 temples specifically for Dalits. He says that the conversions stopped afterwards.<ref name=gau/><br />
<br />
Singhal was a key organiser of the first VHP Dharma Sansad in 1984 held at [[Vigyan Bhavan]] in New Delhi, attracting hundreds of sadhus and Hindu notables to discuss the issues of rejuvenating Hinduism. The movement for reclaiming the [[Ram Janmabhoomi]] temple was born here.<ref name=WSJ/> Singhal soon became the chief architect of the movement.<br />
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== Fast unto death & Force Feeding ==<br />
During the tenure of [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] (1998-2004), the pair of Vajpayee and Singhal fell out when he felt that [[National Democratic Alliance (India)|NDA]] Government of Vajpayee was not taking any further steps in building [[Ram Janmabhoomi|Ram Mandir]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bhaskar.com/news/UP-LUCK-ashok-singhal-special-story-about-force-feeding-during-ram-mandir-movement-5170515-PHO.html|title=राम मंदिर के लिए सिंघल ने किया था अनशन, अटल के आदेश पर हुई थी फोर्स फीडिंग|date=2015-11-17|access-date=2016-09-27}}</ref><br />
<br />
Ashok Singhal then went on fast unto death on the demand of the construction of [[Ram Mandir, Ayodhya|Ram Mandir]] at [[Ayodhya]]. He was "Force Fed" on the orders of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. This saddened Ashok Singhal and badly affected once good relations of Singhal and Vajpayee for the rest of his life.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.khabarindiatv.com/india/national-facts-about-ashok-singhals-life-3693.html|title=अशोक सिंघल के जीवन से जुड़ी खास बातें जिन्हें आप जानना चाहेंगे|access-date=2016-09-27}}</ref><br />
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== Philosophy ==<br />
Ashok Singhal was true Hindu and openly promoted his views. In every public meeting after 1989, wherever he gave speech, there was definitely talks of Hindu and of Hindu's interest.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://m.dailyhunt.in/news/india/hindi/haribhoomi-epaper-hari/janie-kaun-the-ashok-singhal-ram-janmabhumi-aandolan-me-nibhai-thi-aham-bhumika-newsid-46335267|title=जानिए कौन थे अशोक सिंघल, राम जन्मभूमि आंदोलन में निभाई थी अहम भूमिका - Haribhoomi {{!}} DailyHunt|access-date=2016-09-27}}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
<br />
==Bibliography==<br />
{{Refbegin}}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Jaffrelot |first=Christophe |title=The Hindu Nationalist Movement and Indian Politics |publisher=C. Hurst & Co. Publishers |year=1996 |isbn=978-1850653011}}<br />
* {{cite book |last=Katju |first=Manjari |title=Vishva Hindu Parishad and Indian Politics |publisher=Orient Blackswan |year=2013 |isbn=978-81-250-2476-7 }} <br />
{{Refend}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
* [http://www.vhp.org/ Official Website of VHP]<br />
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{{Sangh Parivar}}<br />
{{authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Singhal, Ashok}}<br />
[[Category:1926 births]]<br />
[[Category:2015 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Marwari people]]<br />
[[Category:People from Aligarh]]<br />
[[Category:Vishva Hindu Parishad members]]<br />
[[Category:Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh pracharaks]]<br />
[[Category:Hindutva]]</div>->Rlink2