Monday, December 26, 2011

SHRADDHANAND SANYASI ATTAINED MARTYRDOM 85 YEARS AGO


AUM
SHRADDHANAND SANYASI MARTYRDOM 85 YEARS AGO
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM

Swami Shraddhanand was at the pinnacle of achievements in the realm of spiritualism, social service, Vedic education, national cohesion, Shuddhi or homecoming of Aryas( Hindus) who had been forcibly converted to Islam and above things mundane the Unity of people of India to attain Swaraj or political independence from the British paramount power when like a Kshatriya he attained martyrdom. His mission of carrying the wisdom of Vedas far and wide did not remain unfulfilled. His disciples in large numbers who graduated from Gurukul Kangri, Haridwar did shine like bright stars in the firmament of Hindi journalism, research in the Vedic studies and above all in keeping the flag of OM flying.
GURUKUL KANGRI
The singular achievement of Swami Shraddhanand that attracted attention of saints and statesmen, educationists and scientists alike is the Gurukul Kangri, Haridwar. The august institution took off as an experiment in imparting education in Vedic studies and sciences in Hindi medium in rented rooms at Gujaranwala town in the Punjab, now in the alien land of Pakistan, in the year 1900. Lala Munshiram, as Swami Shraddhanand was known then, had his heart and soul in a Gurukul located in sylvan surroundings away from the hum and drum of urban society. His dream came true when Munshi Aman Singh donated his entire Kangri village on the banks of the Ganga river plus a lot of agricultural land to sustain the Gurukul. The new institution moved from Gujaranwala to Haridwar lock, stock and barrel. The new experiment began here and achieved a roaring success.
The Gurukul became the flag ship of Shraddhanand’s fleet. Its name and fame spread far and wide. Came Governor of the then United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, preceded by Collector and Commissioner to see for themselves what the giant-like man with a cool head and fearless mien was up to. Reports of sleuths had indicated that revolutionary activities against the Raj were afoot. Sir Ramsay Mcdonald, leader of Opposition in the House of Commons and later the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, came calling. They were all so impressed that they wished more experiments of this nature were undertaken to counter the adverse effect of Macaulay’s Minute.
Mr Ramsay Mcdonald saw in Munshi Ram Ji an image of Christ or St Peter who had a motivational hold on the new generation of Brahmcharis and the Acharyas of yester years too. When the White Hall of London was so favourably disposed towards the Gurukul, the Viceroy’s Hose in New Delhi just towed the line.
Notwithstanding the teething troubles, Mushi Ram, the Acharya had a deep sense of satisfaction when the first batch of Brahmcharis, including his two sons- Harish Chandra and Indra, graduated. In his Dikshant or the convocation address the Acharya drew their attention to the dream of Swami Dayanand Saraswati in rejuvenation the Aryavart through the youth well versed in the Vedas. The Acharya exhorted the fresh graduates to carry on the mission of Dayanand and stick to the Ten Principles of the Arya SamaJ.
The Gurukul has been carrying on from generation to generation and has crossed the Century mark. The well wishers of the Gurukul and votaries of the Arya Samaj have appreciated the progress with a deep sense of achievement.
A CRUSADER FOR SWARAJ
Swami Shraddhanand was a crusader for Swaraj through and through. It was rather reluctantly that he joined a political party, the Indian National Congress, because he thought that it might interfere in his Spiritual and Educational experiments for the greater good of the greater number. And yet he was in the forefront leading a crowd of protesters in Delhi against the British government’s high handedness. When an armed detachment of Manipuri soldiers under the British officers’command wanted to disperse the freedom fighters by using force of bayonets, it was our Shraddhanand Sanyasi in his ochre robes who stepped forward undaunted by bayonets and bullets, bared his chest and asked the soldiers to fire at him first before opening fire on the protesters. Wisdom dawned on the British officers and they ordered soldiers to unfix bayonets and fall back. A possibility of an ugly situation was averted. The protesting masses comprising Hindus and Muslims applauded the Arya Sanyasi.
On 4th April 1919 a large crowd of Muslims assembled in the Jama Masjid, Delhi to mourn the dead freedom fighters in police firing elsewhere in Delhi The prominent leaders came to Swami Shraddhanand to invite him to address the mourners in the mosque. The Arya Sanyasi began his address with a Ved mantra and concluded with AUM SHANTIH SHANTIH. The congregation responded with AMEEN.
THE SHUDDHI MOVEMENT
Long ago under the oppressive rule of Sultans and the Mughals like Aurangzeb, Many thousand Malkana Rajputs had been forcibly converted to Islam. Now, influenced by the Vedic preachings of Swami Shraddhanand the Muslim Malkana Rajputs voluntarily wished to return home to the Vedic Dharm. The Arya Sanyasi agreed. Maharana of Mewar also encouraged the home coming and agreed to share puffs at the Hookah with the returnees Pundit Madan Mohan Malviya aso gave an active encouragement. Thousands of Muslim Malkana Rajputs were reconverted to the Vedic Dharm and warmly welcomed by all present. It is said that Gandhi Ji was among the few prominent Hindu politicians who demurred. He did not matter to the movement of Shuddhi.
One Asghari Begum of Karachi along with her children came to Delhi on her own and requested Swami Ji to reconvert her to the Vedic Dharm. The Swami, undaunted by a hostie Musim crowd of goons did convert Asghari Begum and named her Shanti Devi. Court cases were filed by wily politicians and Muslim riff-raffs but they all had to bite the dust. Reconversion to the Vedic fold stood confirmed. The Muslim population sought to seek revenge and assassinate the valiant Arya Sanyasi.
THE MATYRDOM OF SHRADDHANAND
On 23rd December 1926 Swami Shraddhanand came from an election tour and was laid up with high fever due to pneumonia. His secretary and sewak were with him at the Naya Bazar, now Shraddhanand Bazar, residence. A bigot with a sinister intention came over and wished to be converted from Islam to the Vedic Dharm. He was refused permission by the Secretary to meet Swami Ji as the latter was unwell. When Swami ji heard that he wished to forsake Islam and be ordained as a Vedic Dharmi, Swami Ji told his secretary to let him come in. After a few minutes chat, the new comer asked for a glass of water. As the Secretary went out of the room to arrange for water, the new comer whipped out a revolver and fired two shots at Swami Shraddhanand at point blank range and the great Arya Sanyasi succumbed to shots. The secretary returned running and the assassin fired a third shot that hit the secretary but he grabbed the killer and held on to him until the police arrived. That killer was brought to trial, found guilty and hanged by the neck till death.
Swami Shraddhanand ived as a Karmayogi and died doing his karma. The entire nationwas shocked. Lakhs of men and women turned out to attend the funeral and had a mixed feeing of grief and anger.
Swami Shraddhanand is no more with us but his mission of education through Gurukulas and the Shuddhi are going on unchecked. Swami Ji’s disciples and disciples’ disciples on whose shoulders mantle of Vedic responsibility fell are at it doing the job with dignity.
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Wednesday, December 14, 2011

HOW INDIAN IS OUR CONSTITUTION

AUM
INDIANNESS OF CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
By Chitranjan Sawant

The Constitution of India was framed by the Constituent Assembly that was absolutely Indian. An overwhelming majority of members of the body that enacted the most important document for governance of Bharat and observe Rule of Law comprised freedom fighters who had given their best to making India free. Their credentials were above reproach. Our Founding Fathers of the Constitution enjoyed the love, respect and admiration of people of India. People loved the members of the Constituent Assembly and got love in return in abundance.

FEATURES OF INDIANNESS

Language, culture, dress, education, Sanskars and above all the Mindset go to make the Indianness or otherwise of our Constitution. The vast majority of constitution makers came from villages of India. They were soaked in the soil, water and air of India. Regretfully they were not allowed to have their say in matters constitutional.

Leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Dr Rajendra Prasad, Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and many legal luminaries of the Aiyar and Iyengar Tambram intellectual clans dominated the proceedings of the Constituent Assembly from A to Z. The semi-literate Ram and Ghanshyam, who were in an overwhelming majority in the Assembly, followed no English, what to say of legal lingua franca in a foreign tongue. Their presence in the Hall was the only contribution that they could make. Thus the Constitution of India in its final shape did not have an imprint of the People of India, the rural India, the India of the Vedic culture or the Ganga-Jamuni composite culture, notwithstanding the fact that it was enacted, adopted by the People of India and promulgated by the People of India just two months after enactment and signing by one and all concerned with it.

The Constitution was a finished product in a book form on 26 November 1949. It was adopted on 26 January 1950 and then the same day the Republic of India came into being.

One regrets to note that despite all factors being favourable to India and Indians, the Constitution of India lacked an Indian soul that was needed to make it effective at the ground roots level.

The Constitution of India failed the litmus test of being Indian in character. It was everything but a document for the People, by the People and of the People of India that is Bharat. What a pity that the members of that august body, the Constituent Assembly failed to give just one Indian name to the motherland. It is called India that is Bharat in our Constitution and other legal documents.

The founding fathers of the Constitution of India were in favour of adopting just one national anthem – vande mataram. What a shame the present national anthem jana gana mana came from behind riding the shoulders of Jawaharlal Nehru and usurped the throne. The whole country regrets that dacoity till this day. Nehru did so just to please a section of the Muslim minority, ignoring the numerically superior Hindus of Bharat, jettisoning VANDE MATARAM and superimposing a Tagore written song that the vast majority of Indian believes was written as an eulogy for King George V when he visited the British India in 1911. We have to live with that disgrace forever, thanks to Nehru’s monumental folly.
Dr Rajendra Prasad, President of the Constituent Assembly and a down to earth scholar and legal luminary sensed the mood of the House and the Indian Nation and said that Vande Mataram will be the National Song of India and shall have the same stats as the trumped up national anthem. That solemn promise remained on paper only and the inspiring anthem of the struggle for independence days gradually faded into oblivion.

As a commentator on Akashvani and Doordarshan on the Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort and the Republic Day Parade on the Raj path, I miss the good old VANDE MATARAM that I had sung along with other students on many a march against the British imperialism on road to freedom. Freedom came sans the song of freedom. A shame for those who appease the anti-national elements just to retain political power in their hands. Who cares for the country? Who cares for the people?

FEATRES OF OUR CONSTITUTION

The Constitution of India is a written document and is relied solely on its text by the judiciary. Althoughthe Hindi text is the authentic text of the Constitution of India, it is the English text that rules the roost and is relied upon by many a legal battle fought in courts of law. Unlike the British constitution which is by and large convention and tradition based and is in a written form to a minor degree only, the Indian constitution gives a little leeway to judicial interpretation where written word is clear in its intent. Indeed the Supreme Court and the High Court have the constitutional mandate for a Judicial Review and their interpretation is not only the Last Word in the matter but also lays down law of the land.
The Judiciary ensures that the country is governed by the provisions of law and that the Rule of Law is respected and obeyed always. The Indian jurisprudence, that relies on the Anglo-Saxon and Roman jurisprudence, lays down:
HOWEVER HIGH YOU MAY EVER BE,
THE LAW IS ABOVE YOU.
The Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles are a part of the Constitution of India. It has 395 Articles and Nine Schedules. With the result, the Indian Constitution is a bulky book, difficult to carry and harder to understand in letter and spirit. It falls on the strong shoulders of the Indian Judiciary to interpret the Constitution of India for the benefit of the People of India.
The Artices, Schedues, Clauses and Sub-clauses are so complicated that even judicial brains are perplexed and confused many a time, what to say of Sepoy Bhup Singh of the Indian Army who rarely knocks at the door of a Temple of Justice, even if he is wronged and feels aggrieved. It is well nigh impossible for a common man to get Justice since it is so expensive that he cannot afford it in this ife.
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