Author: Deepak Jha / New Delhi
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: November 21, 2004
The platform may have been unfamiliar
but the cause was heart-rending enough for Sant Aasaram Bapu, as he sobbed
and prayed that ishwar grant sadbuddhi to jailors of the Kanchi pontiff
Jayendra Saraswati. Hundreds of followers gathered at Patel Chowk for the
upvaas-dharna on Saturday could not control their tears.
Despite it being a political platform,
the sant chose to attend the BJP dharna called to launch a nationwide protest
against the treatment meted out to the seer. Saddened by his arrest, the
Bapu broke down several times as he recited shlokas from the Bhagwad Gita
and led his followers to chanting Om.
That the fight against the shabby
treatment to the Shankaracharya has many worthy warriors was proved amply
on Saturday evening as the crowd disapproved of the Tamil Nadu Government's
"conspiracy" to put the seer in police custody.
Rallying behind Bapu, who observed
a day-long fast, his disciple Dinesh Gupta said: "The moment I learnt Bapu
was sitting on upvaas-dharna I had to join him. Now that Bapu has joined
the stir, the Kanchi seer will be released soon." Gupta came to protest
at the behest of his bed-ridden wife.
Asking his followers to rally behind
the BJP, Bapu said that BJP iron-man Advani is a Dev (God) on this Earth.
Later, Bapu said he would join the
upvaas even on Sunday. Thousands are expected in the next two days at Patel
Chowk. "The arrest of Shankaracharya has hurt me . The force that has motivated
me to come here is ishwar. I hope the culprits get some 'satbhudhhi' and
save the nation from calamity," Bapu said.
"The accusations against the Shakaracharya
is a conspiracy and the result of the rivalry between two political parties,"
he added. The sant who heads the Yoga Vedant Sewa Samiti and has a large
following in the world, was confident that wisdom would prevail among "those
who are behind this conspiracy" and Jayendra Saraswati will be freed".
He expressed apprehension that delay
in the case would threaten peace in the country. "Hamara desh is waqt ek
nazuk mod par khada hai. Sankarcharya ke saath koyi khilwad na ho," he
said in a choked voice.
