Nation remembers one of the greatest social reformer of post Independent India, Madhukar Dattatreya Deoras, popularly called as Balasaheb Deoras, duringn his 100th  birth anniversary. Deoras known for his great leadership skills, who headed largest voluntary organisation RSS, at its tough times during anti-emergency movements (of 1975-78) and Ayodhya movement (of 1992), leading successfully after the demise of MS Golwalkar, who was the second Sarasanghachalak of RSS.Shri. Madhukar Dattatraya Deoras (11 December 1915 - 17 June 1996), popularly known as Balasaheb Deoras, was the 3rd Sarasanghchalak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh _ RSS

An Intro ! Celebrating his 100th birth anniversary 2016 

Deoras was born on 11 December 1915 in Nagpur by the name Madhukar Dattatreya and raised in Andhra Pradesh. He was the eighth child of Dattatreya Krishnarao Deoras and Parvathibai; the ninth, his younger brother Bhaurao, also became a pracharak of the RSS. Deoras was educated in New English High School and matriculated from^{[clarification needed]} Berar Board of Secondary Education of the Central Provinces in 1931. He then graduated from Moris College (now Nagpur Mahavidyalaya) in 1935 and obtained his LLB degree at the College of Law, Nagpur University. Inspired by Dr. K. B. Hedgewar, he was associated with the RSS from its inception and decided to dedicate his life to its goals.

He became general secretary of the RSS in 1965. During the same year he addressed the annual meeting of the Jana Sangh. After the death of second RSS chief M. S. Golwalkar, Deoras becameSarsanghachalak, the supreme leader of the RSS, in 1973.^[1] Known as Balasaheb Deoras, he became more deeply involved in politics than any earlier RSSsarsanghchalak. 

Deoras echoed Savarkar by stating: "We do believe in the one-culture and one-nation Hindu rashtra. But our definition of Hindu is not limited to any particular kind of faith. Our definition of Hindu includes those who believe in the one-culture and one-nation theory of this country. They can all form part of the Hindu-rashtra. So by Hindu we do not mean any particular type of faith. We use the word Hindu in a broader sense."^[1] According to Deoras, even though Mahatma Gandhi appeased Muslims, the Muslims never accepted him as one of their own.

In 1973, Deoras denounced the practice of untouchability and appealed to the RSS volunteers to work towards its removal from the Hindu society. The RSS has set up many programs under Seva Bharati, an organization devoted to uplifting the members of scheduled castes. Under it, RSS volunteers have started schools in which they offer vocational courses for slum dwellers and former untouchables while teaching them the virtues of Hinduism.Deoras declared: "If untouchability is not wrong, nothing in the world is wrong."^[7] He said on November 9, 1985, that the main purpose of the RSS is Hindu unity and that the organization believes all citizens of India should have a 'Hindu culture'

A brainchild of Deoras, the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch was vocal in its defense of swadeshi. Founded in 1993, it was conceived as a protectionist bulwark against economic liberalization by the Congress government  in 1991.

An organizer par excellence

With the passing away of Balasaheb an era comes to an end. Poojya Balasaheb formed the fast surviving nucleus in the string of workers who had the privilege of personal contact with the founder of the Sangh. Balasaheb's entire life was informed by the fierce patriotic fervor that poured out of Doctorji's heart. No wonder such a tried and trusted life should be a constant source of inspiration to innumerable youth to plunge themselves headlong into the yanja that is national service. The result is for the whole world to see : a massive ideologically one family for ever growing from strength to strength. 

The spectacular triumph in his fight against the Emergency never went to his head. He came from a different mould from those who deliver themselves of the most astoundingly imbalanced statements as soon as they are installed in office, however small and insignificant and equally ephemeral, because with the least popular support their egos are inflated. Understandably, when he came out of the jail and was being enthusiastically congratulated in State after State on successfully leading the anti-Emergency movement he had this to say to the people : Forgive and forget. Thousands of swayamsevaks were dumped into jails simply for the crime of being patriots. Many were subjected to atrocities resulting in maiming, permanent damage to health, the financial ruin brought about by 19 months incarceration. Balasaheb personally witnessed this all round devastation of many a swayamsevak's family and future. And yet he asked them to be brave and forgive and forget. Sometime during these days Balasaheb and I called on Charan Singh who said that he would never forgive Smt Gandhi, Balasaheb said : We are social workers; you are an administrator. Our aim is to bring all the people together. It is imperative for us to inculcate in us the quality of forgiveness. All social workers should bear in mind this attitude of Balasaheb.