Ravi Rohmetra
Duggar land has its own brilliant and unique history. It has given birth to veteran politicians, academicians, social workers, leaders of calibre, Chief Justices, Army and Police Generals, actors, doctors, singers, etc. One amongst them was Dr. Om Parkash Mengi. This is the tale of a towering personality who worked selflessly for the cause of the people. He was a friend, a guide and a social worker. During his lifetime, he was counted amongst the great personalities of the State.
The main aim and objective of Dr. O. P. Mengi always remained to help families living below the poverty line. The feeling of helping and supporting the masses, especially the poor, was so deeply rooted in his heart and mind that he was ever ready to face all kinds of odds and adversities for the welfare of others. He firmly believed that service to humanity is service to God. This is the basic reason why the poor masses remember him as their Godfather, and his name is taken with great love, respect and honour.
Dr. Om Parkash Mengi was born in Jammu on 14th January 1918. His father was Lala Ishar Dass Mengi and his mother was Smt. Prabha Devi. His father, an educationist of Jammu, served for 34 years as Headmaster and Professor-in-Charge of the Training Department of Prince of Wales College, Jammu. After his retirement from Government service in November 1941, he served the most prestigious institution of the town, Ved Mandir, at Ambphalla, Jammu, for 29 years (1943–1972). During this period, he played a pivotal role in creating Bal Niketan with vocational training facilities, Bridhashram (Home for the aged and infirm), Gow Shala (Cow Protection Centre), and Andh Vidyalaya (Home for the visually handicapped).
Dr. Om Parkash Mengi, being the worthy son of a worthy father, was held in high esteem in society. Like his father, Dr. Mengi was an embodiment of love and selfless service. Blessed with broad vision, abundant patience, a good sense of humour, spiritual excellence and courage of conviction, he was well known for his simplicity, humility and generosity. In fact, he was born to live for others.
Dr. Mengi joined the RSS during his student life at Lahore in the late forties and remained associated with it till his last breath. After passing his General Physician and Surgeon degree from Medical College, Amritsar, he joined as Medical Officer in the Jammu and Kashmir State. However, he resigned from active Government service when his association with the RSS was objected to by the Government. Later, in 1945, he went to Lahore to pursue the Dentistry (BDS) course.
A staunch social activist, Dr. Mengi served the RSS as Karyavah of Jammu and Kashmir State. The veteran leader also held the distinction of acting as Sanghchalak of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh for forty long years, working closely with RSS chiefs from Guruji to Dr. Mohan Rao Bhagwat.
Dr. Mengi, whose public life was like an open book, also had a long association with various philanthropic organisations. A close associate of the founder of the Praja Parishad movement, Pandit Prem Nath Dogra, Dr. Mengi commanded great respect from the civil society of Jammu. He served as General Secretary of Praja Parishad and was jailed during the 1953 agitation. He was also imprisoned during the Gau Raksha agitation and the dark days of the Emergency. He remains the only leader from Jammu who earned the distinction of being arrested in all the major satyagrahas launched by the people of the region.
Dr. Mengi’s life was an institution for generations to come. During his tenure as head of the Ved Mandir Organisation, militancy was at its peak in the State, particularly in Jammu province. It posed a huge challenge to provide food, shelter, medical care and education to a large number of orphaned children, both boys and girls. Under his leadership, the organisation resolutely planned and executed new projects, raising funds, donations in kind and infrastructure. Despite his advancing age, Dr. Mengi worked tirelessly, and soon a magnificent two-storeyed building of Balika Niketan came up, comprising an office, eight dormitories, dining hall, kitchen, recreation hall with indoor games facilities, bathrooms, toilet block for orphaned girl children, dining hall for boys, and a free homoeopathy dispensary for the general public.
Dr. Mengi, veteran RSS leader and a renowned social worker, a highly respected figure of Jammu and Kashmir, breathed his last on 14th November 2009 after a prolonged illness at the age of 92. His last rites were performed as per Arya Samaj traditions. His passing caused an irreparable loss, for personalities like him are truly rare.
(Ravi Rohmetra is a social activist and a freelance writer and can be reached at 9419652999 (M); [email protected])
