Founder

DATTOPANT BAPURAO THENGADI JI (1920-2004)

Shri Dattopant Bapurao Thengadi founded the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, now the number one Central Trade union in the Country and also the most respected Trade union in the world. Shri Thengadi ji was born in Arvi Village of Wardha District, Maharashtra on the 10 th of November 1920. After completing his Law Degree and Post Graduation from the Morris College in Nagpur in the year 1942, he has dedicated his life to the service of the Nation as a Pracharak of the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh. During the years 1936-1938, he has served the Hindustan Socialist Rupublican Army in Nagpur . Shri Thengadi ji joined the Indian National Trade Union Congress in order to study the working of Trade Unions and the to get acquainted with the problems of the working class. After his disillusionment with the functioning of the INTUC, which started serving only the masters rather than the masses Shri Thengadi Ji founded the Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh on 23 rd July 1955 at Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. Shri Thengadi ji also formed the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh in the year 1979, the Sarvapanth Samadar Manch in the year 1988 and the Swadeshi Jagaran Manch in the year 1991. Shri Thengadi ji was also the founder member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad popularly know as the ABVP, Shakar Bharathi, Bharatiya Vichara Kendram, Akhila Bharatiya Advakta – Abhibhashaka Parishad, Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat and the Bharatiya Vikas Parishad. Shri Thengadi ji was also a member of the Rajya Sabha for 12 years between 1964 and 1976. Shri Thengadi ji has written a large number of books in Hindi, English and Marathi. In recognition of his sevices to the country, the Government of India has awarded him the Padma Bhushan. True to his style Shri Thengadi Ji declined the award in protest against the anti labour policies of the Government. Shri Thengadi ji the ideologue and philosopher of millions of workers in the world died on the 14 th day of October 2004 at Pune at the age of 83. Till his last he was concerned with the fate of the working class in the organized and un organized sectors.