From News Dispaches JABALPUR: In a unilateral deoision, the protagonists of the Sankaracharya of Jyotishpeeth and Dwaraka Shardapeecth adopted a resolution here asserting that the Sankaracharya Swami Swaroopandand was the authorized representative of the Hindu community and the Government should negotiate with him and hand over the Ram Janmabhoomi temple at Ayodhya at the earliest.

The resolutionwhich was one of the nine passed by the Adhyatmik Utthan Mandal (founded by the Sankaracharya 25 years ago) called upon the people to unite under the leadership of the SankarachaTya to free the Ram Janmabhoomi.

Speaking under the Sankaracharya’s authority and in his presence at a function to celebrate the silver jubilee of the Mandal a spokesman of the Mandal criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Sankaracharya of Kanchi KamaKoti without naming them.

The Sankaracharya honored the former Education and Public Works Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Parmanandbhai Patel.

The silver jubilee function turned out to be a forum for political pronouncements. The Sankaracharya’s name is apparently being used by Congress (I) men to counter the BJP strategy to use the Ram Jamabhoomi issue as a political ploy.

The Sankaracharya, who according to old timers of Jabalpur unsuccessfully contested the general elections during the fifties under the banner of Ramrajya Parishad before his advent on the spiritual scent, nodded approvingly as his followers strongly condemned “some parties” trying to make a political capital out of the Ramjanmabhoomi issue,

The Mandal expressed its gratitude over the Government’s gesture in restoring the glory of the cave near Sankarghat in Narsinghpur district where according to the followers of Swami Swaroopanand the Adi Sankaracharya had attained “decksha.”

A controversy is raging over the actual place where the Adi Sankarachya attained spiritual bliss.

According to the followers of the Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti the spot is Omkareshwar near Indore.

Last year, the President, R. Venkataraman had visited Omkareshwar to offer prayers at the Omkareshwar cave, An organization patronized by the Kanchi Sankarachaya and purchased the land around the cave to develop it into an institute for spiritual studies. The then Chief Minister, Arjun Singh had promised all help to develop the Omkareshwaar institute.

Political Patronage Swami Swaroopanand’s followers, who include the present Chief Minister, Mr. Motilal vora, the Home Minister, Capt, Jaipal Singh, the Irrigation Minister, Miss Vimla Verma and some other political dignitaries organized a function at Sankarghat last week in the presence of the VicePresident, Dr. Shankardayal Sharma to authenticate their claim about the spinitual seat of Adi Sankaracharya. The state Government spent a tidy

sum in developing the area. Thursday’s resolutions included one thanking the Chief Minister

for gracing last week’s functtoti and urged the government to develop a tourist centre near the Sankarghat cave,

Another resolution attacked some. individuals for criticizing Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati. A BJP leader in Bhopal, Mr. Kailash Sarang, had criticized the Sankaracharya for patronizing ruling party politicians and defending their wrongful acts, Mr. Sarang had gone to the extent of suggesting that the Sankaracharya be declared Congress (I) nominee for the Rajya Sabha Through another resolution the Mandal asserted that the advent of the Adi Sankaracharya wasover 2500 years ago and not after Christ. The resolution condemned historians for their “wicked design” in altering the past. The Mandal also resolved to support the Government’s projects for pollution control in Narmada river.

The other resolutions demanded of the state and Central Governments to set up a Sanskirt institute near Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati’s Ashram, protection of cow and check on converting the grazing lands for cultivation of foodgrains.

The state Education Minister, Chitrakant Jaiswal and the Commerce Minister, Vithalbhai Patel represented the Government at the function.

A spokesman of the Mandale made it clear that Parmanand Patel who had kept himself off active politics for over a decade, had not retired from politics. Political observers feel this throws open the possibility of the bidi tycoon contesting the next Lok Sabha election ‘on the Congress (I) ticket.

 

Article extracted from this publication >>  August 4, 1989