The whole world is but one family - Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Australia

Secretary to both the partners, Henning Holck
Larsen and Soren Christian Toubro. Ramakrishnan
took active participation in freedom struggle. He
founded Charkha Club, Bombay, to supply
Charkha and Khadi to middle-class homes on
instalment basis.
“He wrote innumerable
articles in the Bhavan’s
Journal on the subjects
concerning the country
on ethical and spiritual
values and on eminent
personalities”
In 1944, he worked for Gandhi in an honorary
capacity as personal assistant during his stay in
Gandhigram, Juhu, following his release from
Aga Khan Palace on the grounds of failing health.
In 1945, he worked in an honorary capacity
for Sardar Vallabhai Patel on his release from
Ahmednagar Fort.
When the Interim Government was formed on
September 2, 1946 Ramakrishnan moved with
Sardar Patel to Delhi. Sardar Patel wanted him to
continue as his Personal Secretary and offered
to fix him up in the Union Home Ministry. He
declined the offer and returned to Mumbai in
1946, Sardar Patel spoke to Kulapati Munshi who
took him as Secretary of the Akhil Bharat Printers
Ltd. of which he was the Chairman. In 1950, the
Bhavan acquired the Akhil Bharat Printers and
converted the Press into Bhavan’s Academy of
Printing and Ramakrishnan was put in-charge of its
administration.
In 1947, Kulapati Munshi having seen the
potential of Ramakrishnan entrusted him
with the work of Bhavan. Thus began a saga of
total dedication, resolve and unremitting labour
of love and unmatched brilliance that spanned a
period of nearly six decades and saw the growth,
consolidation and expansion of an organization
that has come to be recognized nationally and
internationally as the only one of its kind in
the world.
When he joined the Bhavan, it had only six staff
members and only one constituent unit. Today,
34 | Bhavan Australia | February 2012
the Bhavan has 117 Kendras in India; six centres
abroad and 320 constituent institutions. He
organized a group of volunteers to clean the
gutters of the Dharavi slums. He was detained in
Yerawada. He wrote innumerable articles in the
Bhavan’s Journal on the subjects concerning the
country on ethical and spiritual values and on
eminent personalities he came into contact during
his life time. He was the author of Architects
and Builders of Modern India, Culture Course
Readers in 10 volumes and Immortal Words—An
Anthology. He was the co-author of Radhakrishnan
Reader—An Anthology of sixty odd works of
Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. He was co-editor of Nani
Palkhivala: Selected Writings.
He was the recipient of Padma Sri 1991; Friends
of Bombay Award 1991; Gandhian Award 1992 by
Sarvodaya Mandal; FIE Foundation National Award
1998 for outstanding contribution in the field of
Humanities; Giants Award 2000 for Education.
Padma Bhushan 2001; and Bharatya Sanskriti
Seva Ratna Award 2001 for his contribution
for the promotion of culture by His Holiness
Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.
Ramakrishnan had imbibed Mahatma Gandhi’s
twin mantras of Seva and Tyaga—service and
sacrifice—and infused them into every aspect
and activity of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan. He never
deviated from the ideal of simple living and lofty
thinking, as he shaped and guided the destiny of a
uniquely Indian Institution. He worked incessantly
for over half a century and transformed Bhavan
into an internationally acclaimed Cultural and
Educational Movement rooted in the glorious
spiritual and cultural values of one of the world’s
oldest civilizations.
Ramakrishnan had incisive knowledge of human
nature, had proximity to men and women of
national and international stature which began at a
fairly young age. He had experience of working with
Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel.
Ramakrishnan was the Editor of Bhavan’s Journal
since 1954, when it was started and was also editor
of Bhavan’s publications and the Bhavan that he
helped to build was an extension and expression
of himself.
In his demise, our nation lost one of her noble sons,
one who loved her and served her with ardent
devotion, commitment and spirit of sacrifice.
Source: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Souvenir
(Inauguration of Bhavan’s First Australian Culture
Centre at Sydney, Australia in August 2003