The Governor-designate of Meghalaya V. Shanmuganathan (66) said on Thursday that he was going to the North-Eastern State with the message of love and compassion.
“Over the years, people of the North-Eastern States, known as the seven sisters, have come under various influences. As a Governor, it is my duty to instil the feelings of nationalism,” said Mr. Shanmuganathan, who is going to assume office on May 20.
Mr. Shanmuganathan is the additional secretary of the BJP Parliament Office and his work involves “educating and informing BJP members in both the Houses of Parliament on topical issues.”
Born in Nagore in Nagapattinam district, he had his schooling in Thanjavur. He went to Raja Serfoji Government College for higher education and later the National College in Tiruchi. He is a postgraduate in political science.
Mr. Shanmuganathan said he left home in 1969 to involve himself in social work. In the beginning, he worked at Aranthangi as a ‘pracharak’ of the RSS. “The inspiration came from Manickavasagar, one of the four Saivite minstrels and author of Thiruvachagam, Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo,” he said.
He had toured the entire state in connection with organisational work and emerged a powerful speaker, articulating the ideology of the RSS in Tamil and English. Mr. Shanmuganathan is also well-versed in Saivite literature.
He was the State secretary of the RSS, when its headquarters at Chetpet in Chennai was reduced to rubble in a bomb blast on August 8, 1993. “I was away at a meeting with a newspaper editor. When I returned, I saw 11 of my colleagues lying dead. The Chief Minister visited our office and promised to construct a new building. I told her that she should bring the culprits to book, and we would raise the building on our own,” said Mr Shanmuganathan.
“In one year, I saw to it that we had a new building. It speaks volumes about his capabilities as an organiser. He is also a great motivator,” said N. Sadagopan, State RSS media co-ordinator.
