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Gopal Mukund Huddar (17 June 1902 – c. 1981), also known as Balaji Huddar,^[1] was an Indian journalist, politician, and anti-colonial revolutionary. Huddar served as the first Sarkaryavah (lit. ‘General secretary‘) of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a right-wing Hindutva paramilitary organisation. As his views became increasingly left-wing, he joined the Spanish Civil War in 1937 to fight for the Republicans as a soldier of the International Brigades. He later joined the Communist Party of India to fight against colonialism. Due to his shift towards Marxism, the leadership of the RSS, including Sarsanghchalak (Chief) K. B. Hedgewar who originally sought to have Huddar become the next Sarsanghchalak, increasingly estranged themselves from him.^[3][4]

Gopal Mukund Huddar was born on 17 June 1902 in Mandla, Central Provinces, British India.^[5][4] He had a brother named Shridhar Narayan Huddar.^[6] When he was four years old, Gopal was brought to Nagpur and adopted by a Brahmin widow named Udhoji. In 1920, he assumed leadership in a students’ union.^[5] He graduated from Morris College in 1924 with a Bachelor of Arts degree.^[5]

Huddar arrived in Spain on 17 October 1937 and enlisted in the International Brigades in the city of Albacete. To conceal his Indian identity, he adopted the nom de guerre “John Smith”, presenting himself as British.^[8] He joined the XV International Brigade, also known as the Abraham Lincoln Brigade,^[8] and was assigned to its British contingent. On 11 February 1938, Huddar went to Tarazona for military training. A few months later, he took part in the Battle of Gandesa, fighting in defence of the city. Following the victory of the Nationalists, Huddar was captured, and, along with other Brigade members involved in the battle, imprisoned in San Pedro de Cardeña, which was used by Francisco Franco‘s forces as a concentration camp during the civil war.^[8] During his imprisonment, Huddar often engaged in palm reading with his fellow inmates. By late 1938, amid increasing public pressure on the British government to secure the release of British citizens held by Franco’s forces, a team was dispatched to handle the release of British prisoners of war, leading to Huddar’s release.^[8]

Following his return, Huddar joined the Communist Party of India in 1938, and remained a member until 1952.^[8]