Anurag Thakur pays tribute to Bharat Ratna Madan Mohan Malaviya
Synopsis
BJP MP Anurag Thakur on 12 November paid homage to Bharat Ratna Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya on his death anniversary, remembering the BHU founder's dedication to Indian culture, Sanskrit, and national values — a tribute that reflects the BJP's consistent practice of honouring pre-independence cultural icons.
Key Takeaways
BJP MP Anurag Thakur posted a tribute on X on 12 November 2026 marking the death anniversary ( punyatithi ) of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya.
Malaviya, known by the honorific Mahamana given by Mahatma Gandhi, was an independence activist, Congress leader, and educationist born in 1861 in Prayagraj .
He founded Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1916 in Varanasi, one of Asia's largest residential universities.
Malaviya was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 2014 , alongside Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
BJP leaders regularly commemorate pre-independence cultural and educational figures, linking their legacies to the party's nation-building narrative.
A founding father of modern Indian education, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya gave the country Banaras Hindu University — and his death anniversary on 12 November continues to draw reverence from across the political spectrum. BJP MP Anurag Thakur marked the occasion on Thursday with a heartfelt tribute on X, honoring the towering educationist he called 'Mahamana' — the great soul.
Thakur's post, written in Hindi, reads: 'Humble tribute on the death anniversary of Mahamana Bharat Ratna Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya ji, who nurtured Indian culture and tradition in the hearts of the people through his diligence, devotion to the nation, ideas, and principles.' The single-word honorific Mahamana — bestowed on Malaviya by Mahatma Gandhi himself — speaks to the esteem in which he is held more than seven decades after his passing.
The man who built a university for a nation
Born in 1861 in Prayagraj, Malaviya was simultaneously an independence activist, a Congress leader, and a tireless champion of Sanskrit, Hindu traditions, and Indian-language education. His singular monument is Banaras Hindu University (BHU), established in 1916 in Varanasi — today one of Asia's largest residential universities, still animated by his vision of blending classical learning with modern scholarship.
The Government of India awarded him the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 2014, alongside former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, cementing his place in the republic's highest tier of honour. The pairing was itself symbolic: two figures the BJP considers foundational to its cultural and political inheritance.
BJP's pattern of pre-independence commemorations
Thakur's tribute fits a deliberate and consistent practice among BJP leaders of publicly marking the anniversaries of pre-independence figures associated with Hindu educational and cultural institutions. The messaging links contemporary governance to early-20th-century nation-building — a rhetorical bridge that the party has constructed steadily over the years.
At BHU, annual commemorations on 12 November bring together students, faculty, and public figures to remember Malaviya's legacy — a living tradition that keeps his ideas circulating in public discourse long after his death in 1946.
Malaviya's insistence that education must carry cultural roots alongside modern rigour remains a live debate in Indian higher-education policy. His university, still thriving in Varanasi, is the most eloquent argument he left behind.
Point of View
Particularly figures associated with Hindu educational institutions. By invoking Malaviya's devotion to Sanskrit and Indian tradition, Thakur reinforces a narrative that positions the BJP as the natural heir to a certain strand of nationalist thought. The posthumous Bharat Ratna in 2014 was itself a political and cultural signal, and each anniversary tribute keeps that signal alive. The practice also quietly underscores BHU's continued symbolic importance to the party's base in Varanasi and beyond.
NationPress
12 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Madan Mohan Malaviya's death anniversary?
Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya passed away on 12 November 1946 , and his death anniversary is observed every year on that date with commemorations at Banaras Hindu University and by political leaders across India.
Why is Madan Mohan Malaviya called Mahamana?
The honorific Mahamana , meaning 'great soul' or 'great-minded one,' was bestowed on Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya by Mahatma Gandhi in recognition of his extraordinary service to education, Indian culture, and the independence movement.
What is Madan Mohan Malaviya famous for?
Malaviya is best known for founding Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1916 in Varanasi, one of Asia's largest residential universities, as well as for his role as an independence activist and champion of Sanskrit, Hindu traditions, and Indian cultural education.
When did Madan Mohan Malaviya receive the Bharat Ratna?
The Government of India conferred the Bharat Ratna — the country's highest civilian honour — on Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya posthumously in 2014 , alongside former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
What did Anurag Thakur post about Madan Mohan Malaviya?
BJP MP Anurag Thakur posted a tribute on X on 12 November 2026 , paying homage to Malaviya on his death anniversary and praising him for nurturing Indian culture and tradition through his diligence, national devotion, and principles.
