Reaction against Kanchi seer’s arrest in Kolkata

Author: BP
Publication: Organiser
Date: December 26, 2004

Thousands of people held a procession last week to protest the arrest of Swami Jayendra Saraswati, Jagatguru Shankaracharya of Kanchi Kamkoti Peeth. The people gathered at Subodh Mallick Square of central Kolkata, from where the march began to end at Rani Rashmoni Road. A large laminated photograph of Swami Jayendra Saraswati was displayed at the site.

The sants representing the Bharat Sevashram Sangh, Adyapith, Mahanam Sevak Sangh, Gouriya Matt, Uttam Ashram and Pramarth Sadhak Sangh. Swami Ashokananda, secretary of Bharat Sevashram Sangh, Swami Amare- swarananda (Bharat Sevashram Sangh, New York), Swami Sadatmananda of Adyapith, Bandhugourab Bramhachari of Mahanam Sevak Sangh and many prominent religious personalities, including Balkrishna Nayak, international secretary of Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Swami Adhirananda Saraswati of Sri Gurn Ashram participated in the march.

The meeting began with the speech of Swami Ashokananda, secretary of Bharat Sevashram Sangh. He said that a very bad period was going on for the Hindus of the country. “Swami Jayendra Saraswati’s arrest indicates that we must combine and organise ourselves into a strong, joint voice against the atrocities committed against a high ranked Hindu sanyasi like Shankaracharya.”

Balkrishna Nayak described nexus between the Tamil Nadu government and the Central Government. He said that Swami Jayendra Saraswati, being a Shankaracharya, was above all a social worker. “He had started various projects for uplift of the downtrodden of our society as a result of which conversion had been curbed. He is now suffering for his social work and has been placed behind bars,” he regretted.

Ranendralal Banerjee ridiculed the policy of both the state and Central Government. He stated that the government of Tamil Nadu had stooped to a level to which the Muslim rulers had not even done.

The protest was organised by Dharmaraksha Samjukta Sangharsh Samiti.