In order to spread awareness about Hinduism across the country, Adi Shankaracharya divided India into 4 parts which are also known as the 4 pillars of Hinduism namely Govardhana Matha (Odisha), Sharada Peetham (Karnataka), Dwaraka Pitha (Gujarat) and Jyotir Math (Uttarakhand). There were 4 different heads appointed as well so that Hinduism, in a vast country like India can be managed easily for centuries to come.
One of the heads (Shankaracharya) is Swami Swaroopanand Ji who was born in 1924, served as a freedom fighter, got jailed by Britishers in 1942 and then became the Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math in 1973. Later after the demise of the Shankaracharya of Dwarka pitha in 1982 (Shri Abhinava Saccidananda), he was appointed as the head of that pitha as well.
India during almost his entire life has been under the governance of Congress and (surprisingly), Congress has served Swaroopanand Ji alot. From taking his blessing to doing whatever he asked for towards the betterment of Hindus in North as well as the west.
You might have seen several photos of the Gandhi family and other congress leaders with him too BUT never BJP or Narendra Modi or Amit Shah whomever. And it is quite factual that if someone serves you and treats you with the utmost respect, you are bound to be inclined towards them. That is what happened to him.
Watch how Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga called him a ‘Dhongi Baba’
While this photo was cunningly shot by the missionary and was also sued later for the action. Here’s the statement:
These twitter abuses/ trolls do not end here as Kapil Mishra the ‘infamous’ BJP leader too shared a link of a ‘news website’ demeaning the head of Hinduism:
Swami Swaroopananda Ji, the 96-year-old flag bearer of Hinduism is being abused by BJP leaders like Kapil Mishra, Tajinder Pal singh Bagga and many more BJP leaders but none of the naive pseudo-Hindus came forward for defence and this is just another reason why BJP has ended up becoming a religion for Hindu extremists in India.
And which itself is enough to prove of how BJP leaders have considered themselves over the religion by attacking the real leaders of Hinduism.
Such statements will never be countered in the form of FIR nor will they ever be justified. And the fact that RSS leaders never abused/demeaned Shankaracharya despite he didn’t support them is because RSS knows that no matter what his political ideologies are, he will still remain the head of Hinduism and will work for its betterment till his last breath.
Hindus of India and the world are in debt of the man who has fought for them at every point of his life and countered every finger that was raised at Hinduism.
Opinions of Shankaracharya:
On River Ganga pollution:
Swami Swaroopanand in June 2012 told Uttarakhand CM Vijay Bahuguna his stance against having hydro projects, dams, and barrages on the River Ganga. He also organised a protest at Jantar Mantar against such projects. Hydro projects at Panch Prayag, Deo Prayag, Rudra Prayag, Karan Prayag, Nand Prayag, and Vishnu Prayag, were affecting local ecology and sanctity of the Ganga; since it was being dammed at numerous sites and being confined into cemented tunnels, natural, mineral quality ingredients and anti-bacterial elements in the waters of the Ganga were being lost.
Swami Swaroopanand in January 2016 noted the pitiable condition of the River Ganga and stated that the proposed dams in Uttarakhand should not be constructed to ensure the free flow of the pure water from the sources of the River. Only the free flow is required for a clean Ganga, he said.
On Jammu and Kashmir and Article 370:
On 30 June 2014, Swami Swaroopanand said that Article 370 should be removed from Jammu and Kashmir. He said that the abrogation of the Article will be beneficial for the people in the valley and that a demographic balance is necessary to end recurring strife in J&K.
“Tension does not erupt in places where there is a demographic balance of communities. Take Punjab for instance. Hindus and Sikhs are in equal number there. They need each other and so there is no room for a clash between them. The growing morale of anti-national elements in Kashmir is a result of the country’s weak laws. The Union government should revoke article 370 in Kashmir which will permit influx of people from outside the state into the state’s population and end its strife-torn atmosphere. The return of Kashmiri Pandits to their home state alone can counter the growing morale of anti-national elements in the state.”
Uniform civil code:
He has also advocated a uniform civil law for Hindus and Muslims in India to maintain a balance in their population.
On RSS, Indian elections of 2014, and Narendra Modi:
Swami Swaroopanand in May 2015 said, “Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assertion to curb corruption, bribe taking is rampant in the country. This is because of degradation of moral values and ethics in society.”[10]
Swami Swaroopanand in March 2016 said on the RSS, “RSS takes the name of the Hindus, but they have no commitment towards Hindutva. They are trying to deceive people by telling that they have come to protect the Hindus. This is more deadly. BJP rules this country now. Before this, it was Congress. But under both governments, cow slaughter has been continuously happening. Then what is the difference between BJP and Congress?
On intolerance debate and JNU agitations of 2016:
In the context of the 2015 Dadri mob lynching alleging cow slaughter and consumption of beef, Swami Swaroopanand in March 2016 said, “Let any Hindu eat pork, host pork party and then give a public press conference on it and if ‘they’ bear with it, then it is real tolerance.”
In the context of the 2016 JNU sedition controversy he said, “College students these days are disjoint from spirituality. This lack of spiritual & cultural knowledge leads them into becoming anti-national.”
On youth and spirituality:
Swami Swaroopanand in March 2016 said, “There is an increasing feeling of ‘detachment from faith’ among the Hindu youths as compared to those of other religions. There is a need to include Hindu scriptures in the curriculum of schools and colleges to prevent the long-term mental degeneration of Hindus due to influence from anti-Hindu propaganda that has its clutches deep into almost every socio-cultural sphere of India. While ‘they’ have their religious schools to spread fundamentalism, terrorism and hate preaching, we don’t have a medium to reach out the Hindu youth about the richness and greatness of our scriptures and cultural values. It’s the central government’s responsibility to ensure the traditions of this nation are preserved.”
On ISKCON:
Swami Swaroopanand in February 2016 questioned the claim of ISKCON to be a part of Sanatana Dharma and accused it to be a front for money-laundering, it being used to send money from India to USA and other foreign countries. Money donated by Indians were being shunted to the USA. He questioned the growing number of their temples in India and said that if they were sincere they should have built them in Assam and Chhattisgarh which had fewer temples. Their aim was not religion or spirituality but something else, he claimed.
Cow, bull, and bullock protection and export of beef:
Swami Swaroopanand in May 2015 welcomed the decision of the Maharashtra government to extend ban on cow slaughter to bulls and bullocks in the state and opined that it would increase the production of milk which will, in turn, help feed children in the country. He stated that more than 12 crore cows were being slaughtered in the entire country every year which needed to be stopped.
“This Act should be implemented throughout the country. India is a Hindu majority country still we produce a huge quantity of beef. India is the biggest exporter of beef which is shameful for us. The government should ban export of beef and we must protect cows by all means. Some political leaders opposed the law banning cow slaughter just to appease Muslims and other minority groups. Providing beef in the name of cheap source of protein to minority and depriving the majority from milk is against both the democratic and Indian values. Milk is a rich source of protein, and to ensure availability of milk it is essential to put a blanket ban on cow slaughter across the country.”
