He shaped many leaders but will not be among those "known" as leaders. He was a thinker but will not be among those who are "known" as thinkers. He was an intellectual, but he will not figure in the list of "known" intellectuals. He was a writer but will not be among the "known" writers. He was H V Seshadri, former general secretary and one of the tallest leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

He was little known to the outside world as what he was because he did not think, write, or led others to be "known." He wrote books to make the country strong, not to make himself popular. He toured ceaselessly and met hundreds of thousands of people to strengthen the motherland, not to become popular or build a vote bank for himself. That he passed away was perhaps the first news about him as a person in the media. But even that courtesy by the media is because he belonged to the RSS that is well known.

In fact he, like many of his colleagues and seniors in the organisation, shunned popularity by design. He knew the limitations and risks of popularity. When Mahatma Gandhi withdrew the Non-Cooperation movement, and a BBC correspondent asked him what he thought of the general perception that his popularity had waned, the Mahatma replied, "Popularity comes without invitation and goes without farewell." So superior minds like Seshadri knew how transient it is and how debilitating it is to chase popularity. But even though he knew the limitations of popularity, he worked to produce popular leaders, because popular leaders are needed to lead and run the country. But the only difference was that they were popular leaders but were not popularity-seekers.

Only persons who do not seek popularity, actually shun popularity can produce, and inspire, popular leaders and guide them. It is not easy to manage popularity. To become popular is easier than remaining popular. This is where a popular leader needs the lead of someone who is least known. Chandragupta was known, but little details are known about his mentor Kautilya. Chatrapathi Shivaji is popular in history books but not saint Ramdas who made him. This is the Rishi-Raj tradition of this ancient country. So we had known rulers ruling and unknown rishis guiding them.

But leaders alone cannot make the country. When some one said, "Great is a country that has heroes," Galileo responded saying, "Greater is a country that does not need heroes." Seshadri strove for a nation that does not need heroes. To dispense with the need for heroes is a stupendous task. Only a country that has a highly evolved and patriotic men and women can dispense with the need for heroes. This is precisely what Seshadri worked for.

This is the task that Swami Vivekananda described in his lecture on My Plan of Campaign in Chennai after he returned from America as a "man-making" mission. It is this mission which he called nation building. So the twin and sequential mission of man making and nation building became the fundamental work for the RSS. This self-effacing mission became the life mission of Seshadri. Seshadri joins the immortal but popularly unknown category of great men and women who have lived and worked for this ancient land of rishis and munis without asking for anything in return. Seshadri follows the tradition of his mission where the mission alone is known, but not the missionary. The name of the RSS is popularly known, but not the name of its founder. This is the tradition to which Seshadri belonged and this is the tradition in to which he has merged.

He, like many in the tradition of rishis, became part of the foundation of this ancient nation, lying below the plinth and supporting the tower of the temple of mother India. Thus disappears one more soldier in the cause of Bharatmata into her lap. Thus the man who built many men with capital 'M', who led different public domain of this vast nation of 1/6 of humanity, is no more. Seshadri was born for a mission and lived his whole life for the service of the mission till his fragile body which he over worked gave way at the age of 80.