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Carrying His Legacy Forward: My Great-Grandfather as the Mayor of Delhi
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I grew up with stories about Babuji, told in the soft glow of winter afternoons. The stories of his honesty, stubborn discipline, and his quiet determination to make Delhi a city worthy of its people. But it was only when I began revisiting his life as Mayor of Delhi that those stories began to breathe again! Lala Hans Raj Gupta (Babuji) succeeded in occupying various posts of responsibilities. One of them includes becoming the mayor of Delhi in 1967. He was selected as one of the six eldermen by the hundred elected members of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. During…
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Lala Hansraj Gupta & the RSS Strategy
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The story of RSS expansion in Delhi is not only a story of shakhas, training camps and ideological mobilisation. It is equally a story of how the Delhi business elite was quietly woven into a new Hindu nationalist institutional network long before electoral politics entered the foreground. Lala Hansraj Gupta stands at the centre of this transition. Babuji was not merely a Swayamsevak. He was a respected Delhi industrialist, a philanthropist known for endowments in education and health, and later twice Mayor of Delhi. Precisely because he was rooted in public legitimacy and philanthropy, the RSS identified him as the…
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Through Their Eyes: Tributes of Love and Respect for My Babuji, Lala Hansraj Gupta
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In my previous post, I had the privilege of sharing glimpses from the extraordinary life of my great-grandfather, Lala Hansraj Gupta, whose journey was not merely one of personal success but of public service, driven by a deep sense of responsibility towards the society. In this blog, I wish to shed light on another beautiful aspect of his life- the respect, affection, and admiration he received from some of India’s most distinguished leaders and dignitaries like Smt. Arun Asaf Ali, Shri. Kaka Kalelkar, Shri. Jaiprakash Narayan, Shri. Jagjivan Ram. Their heartfelt words are more than mere tributes, they are windows…
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Babuji – Great Granddaughter’s Remembrance
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For me ‘Babuji’. Babuji passed away when I was only five years old. The little sweet memories that I have of him continue to be a part of me till date. He always seemed to be at peace and composed, gently lined with age, yet carrying the soft warmth of someone, who has spent a lifetime smiling. I fondly recollect his calm assurance and his demeanour, depth of his voice and the quite strength of a man devoted to service. Often I heard stories about Babuji being discussed among the family members over a cup of coffee and often those…
Babuji