Who is RSS’ New Gen Secy Dattatreya Hosabale ‘Dattaji’? Know About His Roots, Edu and Career

Karnataka-born Dattatreya Hosabale was on Saturday elected as the ‘Sarkaryawah’ (General Secretary) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He was until now the Sah-Sarakaryavah (Joint General Secretary) of the Sangh.

The election took place at the two-day annual meeting of the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), the Sangh’s highest decision-making body that began here on Friday. “Bangaluru : Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha of RSS elected Shri Dattatreya Hosabale as its Sarkaryavah.

He was Sah Sarkaryavah of RSS since 2009,” RSS tweeted. Hosabale will replace the 73-year-old Suresh ‘Bhaiyyaji’ Joshi, who was Sarkaryawah for four terms, with each term having three years. Sarkaryawah post is considered as Sangh’s number 2 in command after Sarsanghchalak (Chief of RSS) which is currently held by Mohan Bhagwat. Though ABPS is an annual meet held at different places, but every third year it is held at RSS headquarters in Nagpur as election of Sarkaryawah will take place.

However, it was shifted to Bengaluru this time in the wake of surging COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra. Born inSorab in Shivamogga, Hosabale, aged 65-years, a post graduate in English literature, has grown in Sangh, which he joined in 1968 He was initially associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), student wing of the RSS, and became an organiser in RSS.

Interesting facts about his life and career:

His native place is the village Hosabale of Soraba Taluk in Shivamogga, Karnataka. He hails from a family of RSS activists.

Education

He was schooled at Hosabale and in Sagar (taluq headquarters). He received his college education at the National College, Bengaluru and at Mysuru University.

A staunch supporter of government’s key policies – NRC, NEP, he is vocal about his view on conversions to other religions. In his opinion Indian secularism is anti-Hindu, and has earlier said, “When it comes to the Idea of India, there is no dispute as such; the point is that there can be a variety of ideas and each must be permitted its space. It’s not necessary that they should be at loggerheads or contradictory to each other.” Widely traveled, Hosabale was also mentor of organizational activities of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh in USA and UK.

Hosabale studied literature in English Literature at a University in Bengaluru. He enjoyed proximity with almost all writers and journalists of Karnataka, notable among them being Y. N. Krishnamurthy and Gopal Krishna Adiga. He played an active role in setting up the Youth Development Centre in Guwahati, Assam, World Organization of Student and Youth (WOSY).

Career highlights

He joined the RSS in 1968, and joined the ABVP in 1972. He became a full-time ABVP worker in 1978. In 2004, he became the Sah-Baudhik Pramukh (second in command of the intellectual wing of the RSS).

He was active in academics and literary activities during his student days. He was imprisoned for more than a year under MISA during the Emergency. He was the founding editor of Aseema, a Kannada month. He is fluent in Kannada, Hindi, English, Tamil and Sanskrit. He is popularly known as Dattaji.