Who is called the Rashtrapitamah ie the Grandfather of India?

Answer 1

Though constitutionally it has not been declared that Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati is the Rashtrapitamah of India but the people and the nation, believe and say, that Swami Dayanand Saraswati the founder of Arya samaj is the Grandfather of India.

Swami Dayanand had proclaimed India for Indians in 1876 (Commentry on Yajurveda -Lazarus Press Banaras 1876). It was his teachings and the book Satyarth Prakash that inspired leaders, scholars, reformers and revolutioneries like Aurobindo Ghosh, Dadabhoy Naroaji, Lokmanya Tilak for the Independence movement.

Swami Dayanand's disciple Shyamji Krishan Verma who founded India House in London inspired Madam Cama, Ver Sawarkar, Lala Hardyal, Madan Lal Dhingra, Bhagat Singh etc. who laid down their lives for the independence of India.

Alan Octavian Hume, founder of Indian National Congress (that professes the party to be the fore-runner of the freedom struggle) and Annie Besant, the first President had declared that Swami Dayanand laid the foundation of the Freedom movement.

Another View:

It was for some political situations and compulsions that Mahatma Gandhi was declared Father of the Nation which title swami Dayanand deserved. That is why and how Ananthswami Ayyangar the first Speaker of Indian Parliament and the that time President of the ruling party Indian Nationlal Congress Pattabhi Sitaramayya had to say that Gandhi is the Father of the Nation and Dayanand is the Grandfather of the Nation because Gandhi reaped what Dayanand had sown.

Answer 2

Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati is obviously the only person who is called as Rashtrapitamah of India.

A vedic scholar philosopher a visionary who wrote Satyarth Prakash in 1873 and founded Arya samaj proclaimed Swarajya (freedom for self governance) in 1876 .

The Father of India Mahatma Gandhi learnt the lessons of freedom from Lokmanya Tilak while Tilak called Dada Bhao Naoroji his political Guru who in turn held Maharishi Dayanand as his political guide for the Swarajya movement.

One day Lokmanya Gangadhar Tilak saw to his amazement the reknowned Parsi patriot Dada Bhao Naoroji turning over rhe pages of Satyarth Prakash. He asked Dada Bhao if he had become Arya samajist. To this Naoroji had replied," No I got inspiration from Swami Dayanand's work in my struggle for Swarajya"

Such was the impact of Swamiji's messages

Maharishi Dayanand's follower Shyamji Krishan Verma established India House in London that created revolutionaries and freedom fighters like Veer Savarkar, Madam Cama, Hardyal, Madan Lal Dhingra and Bhagat Singh. All were from Arya Samaj background.

80% of freedom fighters who fought for the freedom struggle were from Arya Samaj founded by the great visionary Maharishi Dayanand and as such he is called the RASHTRAPITAMAH ( grandfather) of India

Answer 3

This question has been asked in many ways.

As per Indian law, I understand that the Constitution of India has not so far provided such nomination though majority of Indians do believe that Swami Dayanand Saraswati, who speared his messages, in so many ways, for imbibing the spirit of Independence i.e. Swarajaya in the nation through his writings, discourses and missions. That is how he is respected and regarded as the Rashtrapitamah or the Grandfather of Indian nation. There is of course no doubt that Gandhi had reaped what Dayanand had sown.

All these issues, of having a National Language (Hindi), Untouchability, Women's Education or their imancipation, Principles of Ahinsa and Truth and all other subjects what Gandhi steered were the ideas and thoughts given and spread by Dayaynand in his life through his beliefs, writings, preachings and actions as admitted by all historians.