Ambedkar, Hedgewar similar, put country before self: Bhagwat

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said B.R. Ambedkar and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh founder K.B. Hegdewar always put the nation before self in the face of extreme adversity.

"Very few can match the intellect of Ambedkar. He had the biggest role in framing our constitution... he freed thousands of people of his community from slavery," Bhagwat said.

"He studied in adversity, put in Herculean efforts. But he used his talents not for himself, but for the country, for society," the RSS chief added.

He was speaking at the inauguration of the newly-built premises of the K.B. Hedgewar School at Bambolim, on the outskirts of Panaji.

Like Ambedkar, Hedgewar too worked selflessly towards putting India on the right path from his childhood, Bhagwat said.

"... As a boy, he participated in the Vande Mataram agitation in Nagpur after which the British closed down all schools in Nagpur," Bhagwat said, adding Hegdewar was rusticated from the school because he refused to apologise for his participation in the agitation.

"We had an old education system in India, it was very effective... but it's back was broken by foreign invaders... The education system should be able to pull India out of slavery," he said.