Bhubaneswar, 20 September (H.S.): Gurucharan Jena, a veteran Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Swayamsevak, natural therapist, social worker and scientist at the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), passed away on Sunday morning at the age of 77. His demise has cast a pall of gloom over the RSS and the wider ideological fraternity.

Jena was born on September 21, 1949, at Brahmanabada village near Kandarpur in Cuttack district. He joined the activities of the RSS during his youth and remained associated with the organisation throughout his life. While serving at OUAT, he faced the Emergency and continued his activities underground during the period. He was also arrested under MISA.

Known for his simple personality and commitment to national service, Jena inspired several hundred young people to join the RSS. Many of those who came into contact with him later became full-time pracharaks and continued to remain active in organisational work. He also played an important role in expanding RSS activities in Bhubaneswar.

During his association with OUAT, Jena encouraged students to join the RSS, and several of them later became pracharaks. He was also among the founding members of Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandir at Unit-8 in Bhubaneswar.

Jena made a significant contribution to the circulation of publications associated with the nationalist ideological stream, including Rastradeep, Organiser and Panchjanya, in Bhubaneswar. He used to organise annual readers' conferences involving readers of these publications.

Apart from his organisational activities, Jena served people through natural therapy. He continued this work both during his service and after retirement through a natural therapy centre and also trained several practitioners in the field.

Jena's mortal remains were taken from the Government Hospital at Unit-6 to his residence at Suryanagar and subsequently to Saraswati Shishu Vidya Mandir at Unit-8. Local residents, teachers, management committee members and workers associated with different activities of the RSS paid their last respects.

The mortal remains were later taken to the premises of Utkal Bipada Sahayata Samiti at Mancheswar, where several saints and senior RSS functionaries paid their respects. Those who offered tributes included RSS Akhil Bharatiya Sadbhavana Pramukh Dr. Gopal Prasad Mahapatra, Sah-Kshetra Pracharak Jagadish Prasad Khadanga, Kshetra Pracharak Pramukh Prasanna Kumar Mishra, Kshetra Karyavah Durga Prasad Sahu, former Prant Sanghchalak Bipin Bihari Nanda, Odisha East Prant Sanghchalak Samir Kumar Mahanti, Sah-Prant Sanghchalak Mansukhlal Sethia, Sah-Prant Karyavah Engineer Sudarshan Das, Prant Pracharak Bipin Prasad Nanda and Sah-Prant Pracharak Asit Kumar Sahu.

Odisha West Prant Sanghchalak Dr. Sanatan Pradhan, Prant Karyavah Ganesh Mahapatra, Prant Pracharak Shankar Panda and Prachar Pramukh Srishtidhar Biswal, along with members of the two prant-level executive bodies, also paid their last respects.

A condolence meeting was held at the venue, where Dr. Gopal Prasad Mahapatra recalled Jena's long association with the RSS and highlighted various aspects of his organisational and social contributions.

Jena's mortal remains were subsequently taken to his native village. After family members, relatives and several dignitaries paid their last respects, his last rites were performed at the village cremation ground.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda