Paramacharya & subramaniam swamy

Courtesy: Sri.Viji

 

Parmacharya - Part I
Subramanian Swamy

I have bowed before only one sanyasi in my life, and that is Sri
Chandrasekhar Saraswathi, known to the world as the Parmacharya. It is
not that I am arrogant or that I have no respect for sanyasis and
sadhus. In fact I respect many sadhus in this country for their
learning and social services. But my upbringing, first in an English
convent school, and then ten years in USA had created a distance
between me and traditional Hindu culture of bowing and prostrating
before any elder, or anyone in saffron clothes. Therefore, I was the
"modern" Indian, believer in science, and with little concern for
spiritual diversions.

In fact till the age of 30, I had not even heard of a god like human
being called Sri Chandrasekhar Saraswathi. It was a chance meeting
with an Indian student at Harvard in his room in the university
hostel, that I saw a picture of Parmacharya on top of this student's
TV set. I asked him: "Who is he? And why are you keeping his picture?"
The student just avoided the question. I also forgot about it, except
that Parmacharya shining smiling face in that photograph got etched in
my memory. Six years later, as my Pan American Airways plane was about
to land at Delhi airport during the Emergency, I saw that smiling
Parmacharya's face reappear before me for a brief second for no reason
at that time. I was coming to Delhi surreptitiously to make my now
famous appearance in Parliament and subsequent disappearance, while a
MISA warrant was pending for my arrest in the Emergency. At that
moment, as the plane landed, I resolved that whenever the Emergency
gets over, I shall search for Parmacharya and meet him.

In 1977, after the Emergency was over, and the Janata Party in Power I
went to Kanchipuram to see the Parmacharya. It was in sheer curiosity
that I went. Some friends arranged for me to come before him. It was a
hot June evening, and Parmacharya was sitting in a cottage, a few
kilometers outside Kanchipuram. As soon as he saw me, he abruptly got
up, and turned his back on me, and went inside the cottage. My friends
who took me there were greatly embarrassed, and I was puzzled. Since
no body including the other sadhus at that ashram had any idea what
went wrong, I told my friends that we should leave, since Parmacharya
was not interested in giving me "darshan".

From the cottage, we walked a few hundred yards to where my car, by
which I had come to the ashram, had been parked. Just as I was getting
into the car, a priest came running to me. He said "Parmacharya wants
to see you, so please come back". Again puzzled, I walked back to the
cottage.

Back at the cottage, a smiling Parmacharya was waiting for me. He
first asked me in Tamil: "Do you understand Tamil?" I nodded. In those
days, I hardly knew much Tamil, but I hoped the Parmacharya would
speak in the simplest Tamil to make it easy to understand.

He then asked me another question: "Who gave you permission to leave
my cottage?" The Tamil word he used for "permission" was of Sanskrit
origin, which I immediately understood. So in my broken Tamil with a
mixture of English words, I replied: "Since you turned your back on me
and went inside the cottage, I thought you did not want to see me."
This reply greatly irritated the priest standing in attendance on the
Parmacharya.

He said "You cannot talk like this to the Parmacharya". But
Parmacharya asked him to be silent, and then said that when he saw me,
he was reminded of a press cutting he had been keeping in store inside
the cottage and he had gone inside to fetch it.

"Here it is" he said. "Open it and read it. I opened the folded press
cutting, and with some difficulty, I read the Tamil question answer
piece printed in Dinamani Kadir, a magazine of Indian Express group.
The press cutting had a photograph of me and below it the question
asked by a reader: "Is the hero of the Emergency struggle,
Dr.Subramanian Swamy a Tamilian?" And the answer given was, "Yes he is
a native of Cholavandhan of Madurai District."

Parmacharya asked me, "Is this your photograph, and is the answer
given to the question correct?" I nodded. Then Parmacharya said: "Now
you may go. But in the future when you come, you cannot leave till I
give you permission to leave." Everyone around me was naturally very
impressed, that Parmacharya had given so much special attention
especially since in those days, he often went on manuvvat (silence
vow). As I left a sense of elation at the meeting with Parmacharya. I
wanted to come back again. I could not understand why a "modern"
person like me should want to see a sanyasi, but I felt the urge
strongly.

A month later, the Tamilnadu Assembly elections were on, and I was
passing Kanchipuram in the campaign rail. So I told the Janata Party
workers to spare me some time to pay a visit to the Parmacharya.

When I again reached the same cottage, a priest was waiting for me. He
said: "Parmacharya is expecting you." I asked: "How is this possible,
when I decided at that last minute to come, without appointment?" The
priest replied. "That is a silly thing to ask. Parmacharya is divine.
He knows every thing".

Sure enough a radiant smiling Parmacharya received me. I thought that
this time too, our meeting would last a few minutes, and after a few
pleasantries, I can continue on my election campaign. But not so.
Parmacharya spoke to me for 1-1 1/2 hours on all important subjects.
He gave me guidelines on how to conduct myself in politics and what
was necessary to protect the national interest of the country.

He told me that in politics, I should never bother about money or
position, because both would follow me whenever an occasion demanded.
But I should not be afraid to stand alone. He told me that all great
persons of India were those who changed the thinking of the people
from a particular set way of thought to a new way of thinking. "That
is the permanent achievement for a politician, not merely becoming
Minister or Prime Minister. Great persons, starting with Adi Shankara,
to Mahatma Gandhi dared to stand alone and change the trend of
people's thought. But did either hold a government position?" he asked
me. He said "If you dare to think out fresh solutions for current
problems, without bothering about your popularity, and without caring
for whether a government position comes to you or not, you will have
my blessings." When he said that I felt a strange sensation of
happiness. I suddenly felt very strong.

During the period since my first meeting with the Parmacharya, I had
thought a lot about him, heard his praise from so many people. From
what I learnt and what I saw of him, I began to feel his divinity.
There was no other human like him. If nothing else, he was one sadhu
who did not bless Indira Gandhi during the Emergency when in the
height of her power and at the height if the nation's sycophancy, she
came and prostrated before him. And yet when Indira Gandhi was down
during the Janata rule, he received her and gave his blessings to her
after she repented for the Emergency.

It is this thought, every time (that if I do something sincerely, and
for what is for the good of the people) that Parmacharya's blessings
will be with me and see me through the interim period of public and
media criticism and unpopularity, that has given me this courage that
today even my enemies do not deny that I possess. In such endeavours,
even though in the beginning when most thought that I was doomed, I
came out it successful in the end because of his blessing.

In the next few instalments I shall, without drawing the Parmacharya's
name into the controversy, reveal many such initiatives that I took
with his blessings. From 1977 to his day of Samadhi, I met the
Parmacharya so many times and received his oral benediction and
advice. But I never gave it publicity or got myself photographed.
During his life time, I did not boast of my proximity to him either,
although whenever I came to the Kanchi Mutt, always without
appointment, he would see me. If he was asleep, he was awakened by his
close helpers to whom he had obviously given instructions about me.
There may not be another god in human form for another 100 years, but
it was my honour to have known him and received his blessings. He may
not be here today in human form, but because of what he had instructed
me, I know and feel his is around.

Parmacharya - Part II
Subramanian Swamy

After wonderful discourse from Maha Periyawal Sri Chandrashekhara
Saraswathi in 1977, I went to have Parmacharya's darshan numerous
times. Whenever I had a difficult question that I could not answer, I
would go and ask him for guidance. He gave me audience also in
abundance. I got to see him whenever I came to Kanchipuram, or at
Belgam in Karnataka or at Satara in Maharashtra or wherever else he
was. But I did not publicize these darshan sessions in the newspapers
as some others were doing. This was greatly appreciated by the Mutt
officials and pujaris.

When Indira Gandhi returned to power in 1980, defeating the Janata
Party, I was upset, and wondered if Emergency would be declared again.
So I went with a group of Janata workers to the Karnataka -
Maharashtra border, where Sri Parmacharya was camping on his walking
tour. When I reached him, he was sitting in a hut almost as if he was
waiting for me. As soon as he saw me, he got up and started briskly
walking to a nearby temple. I just stood there watching him. Soon he
stopped walking and sent someone to ask me to come to him alone.

When I reached where he was standing, he said to me anticipating my
question; "It is a good thing that Indira Gandhi has got an absolute
majority. At this juncture, the country needs a stable government, and
only Indira Gandhi is in a position to give that stability." "But what
if she declares another Emergency and tries to put us all in jail?" I
asked.

To this question, Parmacharya only smiled and put his hand up in his
known style of bestowing his blessings. I did not realize at that
time, that Indira Gandhi had before elections, gone to Hubli in
Karnataka where he was camping and prostrated before the Parmacharya.
On her own, she had vowed to him and had said that if she came back to
power, she will not repeat the mistakes of the past of declaring an
Emergency. Then she asked for his blessings, which the Parmacharya had
given by raising his hand and showing his palm.

As I was leaving, Parmacharya asked me if I could work to unite the
opposition and include the communists in it. "Communists!" I asked in
utter incredulity. I added: "The Soviet Union has just invaded
Afghanistan (December 27, 1979), and are preparing to capture
Pakistan, and then soon they will swallow India. How can we believe
the Communists?"

"Not like that at all" said Parmacharya to me. He clearly gave me a
hint that Communists will never be a danger to India. In fact he gave
me a clear indication that in some years to come the Soviet Union will
not be there at all. I just could not believe what I heard. But eleven
years later, that is exactly what happened. The Soviet Union broke up
in 1991 into 16 countries, a development no human being foresaw.
Parmacharya was above human, a divine soul. He could see it. To this
day I regret that I did not act on his advice because I spent nearly a
decade (ten years 1980 -90) opposing Communism, little realizing that
it was going to collapse of its own weight. I earned the Communists
enmity for nothing. That is the only advice of Parmacharya I did not
act on. On other occasions, I blindly followed whatever he told me.
Of course, the golden rule with Parmacharya was that he would not on
his own offer any advice, but when I asked him, he showed me the way.
When my mind was made up on anything, I did not ask him what I should
do. Of course if I did not have his blessings, I rarely succeeded.

In 1987 for example, I tried to land with some fisherman in the island
of Katchathivu to assert the rights of fisherman under the Indo-Sri
Lanka accord. MGR was Chief Minister then. He had me arrested in
Madurai and put me up in Tamilnadu Hotel instead of Madurai jail. The
then DGP, told me clearly that unless I give up the Katchathivu trip
and agreed to return to Chennai, they would keep me under arrest.
Those days I knew little criminal Law, so I agreed to return to
Chennai not knowing my rights. After arriving in the city I drove to
Kanchipuram and saw the Parmacharya. I told him of my humiliation and
my inability to go to Katchathivu. Parmacharya smiled at me as if I
was a child. He told me: "You go to Delhi and file a case in the
Supreme Court against the arrest, and ask the court to direct the
Tamilnadu government to make arrangements for you to go Katchathivu".

So I flew that evening to Delhi. My wife is an advocate in the Supreme
Court, so I asked her to draft my writ petition. She was shocked by my
request, "The Supreme Court will laugh at you if you come directly on
a question of arrest. You must first go before Magistrate in Madurai,
then Sessions Court, the High Court, and then only to Supreme Court"
she said.

I insisted that she draft the petition. So finally she said "As an
advocate, I don't want to look foolish in the Court. So I will draft
your petition but the rest you do. I won't associate with it." But my
blind faith in Parmacharya kept me going. With the petition filed, I
appeared in the Court of the Chief Justice Venkataramiah. I arrived in
the Court a few minutes before the Chief Justice took his seat. Many
lawyers who recognized me met me to ask why I had come, they all
laughed. All of them said: "Your Petition will not only be dismissed,
but also the Chief Justice will pass remarks against your stupidity,
and for wasting the time of the Supreme Court."

When my Petition came up for hearing, a miracle happened. Chief
Justice Venkataramaiah asked the Tamilnadu Counsel (then Kuldip Singh,
who became a famous Judge himself later) why the Government had
arrested me. Taken by surprise at the Petition not being dismissed,
Kuldip Singh stammered. "Kuldip Singh went on to explain that a
pro-LTTE mob was against me going to Katchathivu, and the LTTE had
also issued a threat to finish me. Chief Justice Venkataramaiah then
burst out at Kuldip Singh. He thundered "Are you fit to call yourself
a democratic government? If mob wants to stop Dr.Swamy, you arrest the
mob not Dr.Swamy."

The Chief Justice then passed an order that the Government should make
all the necessary arrangements for me to go to Katchathivu. No one in
court could believe it. Some asked me: "Are you related to
Venkataramaiah?" I am not only not related, but those days I did not
even know him. But I had the blessings of Parmacharya, and I was doing
as he asked me to.

That was the divine power of Parmacharya ; when he asked you to do
anything, he also took measures to see that the right thing happened.

After the Supreme Court verdict, I met Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in
Parliament House. Kuldip Singh had already informed him of the court
verdict. So he told me: "Why did you not speak to me first? I would
have told MGR to allow you. In any case, when you plan to go to
Katchathivu, the navy and air force will give you cover. But the
fishing boat on which you travel has to be provided by you."

On May 8, 1988, I landed on Katchathivu and planted the Janata Party's
saffron and green flag, and prayed at the St.Anthony Church there. As
I approached the island, there were navel patrol boats on either side
of my fishing vessel which I had taken on hire. Two air force planes
were flying over me. I felt grand like a king. My salutations went to
the Parmacharya. He made the impossible possible. From being arrested
in Madurai to being royally escorted to Katchathivu, only Parmacharya
could arrange.

Parmacharya- Part III
Subramanian Swamy

In 1981, I became successful in persuading the Chinese government in
re-opening for Hindu pilgrims the route to Kailash and Manasarovar.
After 3 years of persuading the Chinese, in April 1981 the Chinese
strongman Deng Xiao Ping invited me to China to meet him. In that
meeting, he told me that as a "special favour to me and my efforts and
in recognition of my steady advocacy of improved Sino-Indian relations
[ he used the term "lao peng yeou" 'meeting old friend' ] he was
asking the officials to meet Indian counter parts to work out the
arrangements for pilgrims to visit Kailash. Deng had in jest asked me
"But you must go first". He had said it jokingly, but I was keen to
see Kailash and Manasarovar. So when I met Mrs. Gandhi in Delhi to
tell her of my meeting with Deng, I told her that I will lead the
first batch of pilgrims and that she should agree. She laughed and
said "of course. I wish I could go too."

The opening of Kailash and Manasarovar had been considered impossible
by our Foreign Ministry officials. China is a communist country and
Kailash and Manasarovar is in the most sensitive area of Tibet.
Therefore how could China allow Indians, even if as Pilgrims, to walk
into Tibet? But the impossible happened because throughout the three
years of talks with the Chinese, Parmacharya not only gave his
blessings to me for this venture but encouraged me. "We must be
friends with China and Israel" he would keep telling me whenever I
came to him for darshan and anugraha (blessings).

When the Kailash and Manasarovar re-opening was announced, the first
batch consisting of 20 pilgrims was slated to go in the end of August.
That meant in 30 days of walking from the end of August to late
September. By the time, we return, it would be end of September. At
those heights in the Himalayas, September meant snow and ice cold
temperatures, and that we would have to walk! Foreign ministry
officials told me that since the route had not been in use for nearly
25 years, it would be a rough walk. We would have to clear bushes on
the way, and perhaps encounter animals and snakes!

To make matters worse, Inderjit Gupta, then a CPI Lok Sabha MP, and
good friend of many years, asked my wife to prevent me from going on
this trip since I would not return. "It requires mountaineers to trek
this route, not people like us" he told her. Others told me that I
should think of my family (of two daughters then age 11 and 8) and not
venture on such foolishness. In fact one BJP MP, perhaps more out of
jealousy than concern, told me that it is punya (blessing) to die on
the route to Kailash. If that were so, I wondered, why not a single
BJP or RSS leader has ever gone on a pilgrimage to Kailash? Perhaps
because there are no Muslims there, nor a Masjid to demolish! BJP is
anti-Muslim but not pro -Hindu, so Kailash means nothing of political
value to them.

But the net result of all this was that a scare was created in my
family and social circles. Many urged me to forget going to Kailash. I
had done my duty, they said, in getting the route opened, but it is
not necessary to go there. My daughters reminded me of my promise made
the previous year that I would be with them on my birthday, which fell
on September 15th. The previous year I had to be away to address a
meeting in Bihar. If I went to Kailash I would again not be in Delhi
on my birthday. This troubled me.

So anguished and confused by all this I flew to Bangalore, and drove
down to where Parmacharya was camping. He was reading a book when I
saw him. He put down his book and glasses, and asked me what brought
me to him. "Kailash and Manasarovar route has been opened with your
blessings. I have been asked by our Government to lead the first batch
of pilgrims. But all my colleagues in Parliament are scaring me with
stories of what can go wrong with me on this hazardous trip".
Parmacharya said in a comforting voice "Nothing will happen. You go
and come. The opening of Kailash route is a great achievement for our
country"

"I have only regret. That I will not be able to be with my daughters
in Delhi on my birthday" I added. "When is your birthday?" He asked.
"September 15th. But the journey back will not be completed before
September 30th." Parmacharya only smiled. He puts his palm in blessing
and merely said: "you go and come". I left on September 1st on my
journey.

My journey to Manasarovar lake and then for a darshan of Kailash went
very smoothly thanks to Parmacharya's blessings. I returned to the
Tibet-India border on September 13th, and camped that night at
Kalapani, a military cantonment on the Indian side. That night,
faraway from Delhi on the Himalayas, I could not help thinking of my
daughters and my promise to them to be with them on my birthday. It
would be another 15 days of walking before I could reach the plains
and then Delhi.

Next morning at breakfast, the camp commandant came to me with a telex
from Delhi. It said that on Prime Minister's instruction, an air force
helicopter would be coming that morning at 10 AM from Bareilly to pick
me up and take me back to Bareilly, from where I will be taken by car
to Delhi. I was thrilled. This meant that I would be in Delhi on
September 14th evening, and be with my family on the next day for my
birthday! What a miracle!

I was that time just an MP, and that too from the opposition. And yet
this privilege was extended to me. The only reason for this was the
blessing of Parmacharya. With this blessing, any miracle could happen.
I was honoured to witness it. I prayed to Lord Shiva and Durga at the
Kalapani temple at 18,000 feet above sea level, with snow all around.
I said a special thanks to Parmacharya. When I returned to Delhi, and
thereafter went to see Parmacharya, I explained all that happened. He
merely smiled.

In 1986, I was passing Kanchipuram, so I made a detour and went to the
Kanchi Mutt. Parmacharya was there giving Darshan to hundreds of
people. I also stood in the crowd. But the pujaris saw me and
whispered to the Parmacharya that I had come. So he asked me to come
close and sit before him. After the crowds had left, he looked at me
as if to ask me why I had come. The Babri Masjid issue then was
hotting up, and so I said Parmacharya that I was planning to visit
Ayodhya to study the situation. I asked the Mahaswami what stand
should I take.

Parmacharya looked at me very sternly and said "you are a politician.
Why do you have to take a stand on a religious issue? You stay out of
it. You spend your energies on improving our economy or our relations
with China and Israel." I was taken aback by his stern remarks. But I
persisted and said "At least the Government will have to take a
stand". He said: "Let the government make it possible for the
religious leaders of both religions to come together and work out a
compromise. But you stay out of it.

I then told Parmacharya that my friend, and leading Babri Masjid
agitator Mr.Syed Shahabuddin wanted to see his holiness, and whether I
could do bring him next time. The pujaris around the Parmacharya
protested. They said that Shahabuddin was anti-Hindu, and he should
not be allowed inside the Mutt.

The Parmacharya waved away their objections. He gave me permission to
bring him to the Mutt. Then he said to the Pujaris. "Only Subramanian
Swamy knows the art of befriending Americans, Chinese and Israelis at
the same time. He can also be a friend of Shahabuddin." Then turning
to me, he said: "Keep this quality. Never be afraid of making friends
with anyone." I have followed this advice despite heavy criticism from
the media. I have made friends with Morarji, Chandrasekhar and Indira
Gandhi after terrific quarrels with them. Sometimes one needs to
quarrel to come to an understanding of each other's strength.
Generally, I love to oppose those in authority because for a strong
democracy, opposition is necessary. But Indian society being feudal,
those in power underestimate who oppose them. And in my case, people
in power have always underestimated me because they think I am alone.
But they don't realize I have friends everywhere, in all political
parties and in all important countries. That is why I have won all my
battles against Government. Because I have never betrayed anyone,
these friendships remain for a long time. In 1990, I could have
betrayed Chandrasekhar and fallen for temptation offered by Rajiv
Gandhi to become PM. But when I discouraged this idea, Rajv Gandhi's
esteem of me and trust in me went sky high. Because of the trust I
develop my friends from all over the world confide in me. People ask
me often "How do you get so much accurate information". This is the
answer. I have secret friends and open enemies. Most other people have
the opposite: secret enemies and open friends.

Thus Shahabuddin trusted me to bring him to the Mutt with honour. In
early 1987, I brought Shahabuddin to see Parmacharya.

Parmacharya -Part IV
Subramanian Swamy

I brought the fierce Muslims-rights agitator Mr.Syed Shahabuddin to
Kanchipuram to have a darshan of the Parmacharya. Shahabuddin had told
me many a times that he had a urge to see the Parmacharya. He never
explained why. Nor I asked him why since I assumed everyone would like
to see a living God on earth.

Although Shahabuddin is a strict Muslim, he accepted two fundamental
points defining a patriotic Indian Muslim. The first point, a patriot
would accept that though he is a Muslim, his ancestors are Hindus
since 99.9 percent of Muslims of India are descendents of converts.
Muslims who think that their ancestors are Persians or Arabs or from
Tajikistan, can never be patriotic Indians, because they live in a
myth. They are psychologically uprooted from India. The second point
is that although the present day Indian culture is composite, in which
all communities and religions have contributed, the core of this
culture is Hindu in character and substance. Hence even if one changes
one religion, it need not lead to a change of culture. Religion is
personal, culture belongs to the nation.

Shahabuddin had accepted the two points and that is why I defended him
against the charge that he was communal. But the RSS [which is not
pro-Hindu, but merely anti-Muslim], saw in Shahabuddin a convenient
hate figure, and dubbed him a "second Jinnah". Naturally bigots of the
RSS protested when they came to know that I was bringing Shahabuddin
to meet Parmacharya. When we arrived at the Kanchi Mutt, the
Mutt-Pujaris told me that Parmacharya had wanted me to bring
Shahabuddin right into the inner part of the Mutt where he was
staying. We were made to sit before a shut door, and told Parmacharya
would come soon.

The door was opened by Parmacharya himself. When Shahabuddin saw him,
he started to weep, with tears rolling down his cheeks. He folded his
hands in a 'namaste' and said "Oh my Lord Parmacharya, please save my
community and save the nation". I was taken aback [Much later when we
were back on our way to Chennai, I asked Shahabuddin why he broke down
, before the Parmacharya. He simply said that he could not control
himself when he saw the radiant face of the Parmacharya.]

Parmacharya asked Shahabuddin what troubled him. He said "The Babri
Masjid has been shut to Muslims by a Court Order and I pray to you to
help us open it to us". [At that time, 1988 there was no talk of its
demolition by RSS]. Parmacharya told him that Hindus and Muslims
should work out a compromise. He suggested a number of proposals, such
as joint prayers, or Hindu Prayers on Monday-Wednesday-Friday and
Muslims Namaz on other days with Sunday being denied to both. All
these compromise proposals, Shahabuddin said, would be unacceptable to
devout Muslims.

I added in my proposal. Koran prohibits Namaz in constructions built
by demolishing other religions holy places : therefore if it can be
proved that a temple was demolished by Babar's men to build the mosque
in Ayodhya, and then the Muslims themselves should agree to the Babri
Masjid demolition.

Parmacharya looked at me with a benign smile. He had earlier warned me
to stay away from this issue, instead asked me to concentrate on
political and economic issues. But Shahabuddin quickly agreed that
Koran prohibited reading namaz in such places, but contested that
Babri Masjid was built on a temple site. He said he had construction
blue prints to prove his point. Two hours of discussion had taken
place, and therefore the Mutt pujaris were getting impatient. A big
crowd was waiting for the Parmacharya's darshan. So Parmacharya closed
his discussion by asking Shahabuddin to bring his blue prints and come
again. Surprisingly, again Shahabuddin prostrated before him, and then
we both left.

Shahabuddin never came back again. But two years later, I became the
Law Minister. I confronted the Muslim organizations with a proposal
that the Government would appoint a Supreme Court Judge in a one man
Commission of inquiry to determine whether or not there was a temple
before the Babri Masjid was built. And if the conclusion was that
there was a temple, then Muslims must agree to give up the Masjid. If
not, then the Hindus would vacate the masjid.

Surprisingly, while all the Muslim organisations agreed to my
proposal, the fanatic Hindu organizations refused to agree. Our
government did not last long enough for me to go ahead with the
Commission of Inquiry anyway disregarding the fanatics. Nor could I
persuade the successor Narasimha Rao Government to follow my proposal.
It would have amicably resolved the issue. But alas, Babri Masjid was
finally demolished in bitterness.

Perhaps Parmacharya was telling me not to get involved from the
beginning because he foresaw that it would be demolished as a part of
destiny. If Babar's violence was undone 450 years later, then RSS
violence on December 6, 1992 could also be undone someday, but I hope,
by understanding and love. Otherwise the cycle of violence will
continue in the country, with the Hindus and Muslims not reconciled
to each other.

In April 1990, I received an urgent summons from Parmacharya to come
to Kanchipuram. So I rushed. When I saw him, he merely smiled, put up
his palm in blessing and then waved me on to go away! I was puzzled.
Why was I asked to rush to the Kanchi Mutt from Delhi, merely to be
sent away? The Mutt pujaris told me that on Parmacharya's instructions
the Mutt had decided that I was to share the dais with Rajiv Gandhi on
the occasion of Parmacharya's 97th birthday in May that year, to be
celebrated in Kanchipuram. It turned out that no other politician
except Rajiv and myself were to share the platform. It was a great
honour, not only that I would be with Rajiv, but more that it was on
Parmacharya's instructions. But why did he so honour me?

That May meeting turned out to be crucial for me, because it created a
rapport with Rajiv which I did not have before. Rajiv too had great
regard for the Parmacharya and therefore his selection of me to pair
with Rajiv, meant for Rajiv that I could be trusted. From that date
onwards, Rajiv trusted me blindly with no reservations.

Parmacharya thus not only altered my outlook, but he also ensured from
time to time that I came on the right path. Once for example, in 1992,
the two junior swamis, Jayendra Saraswati and Vijendra Saraswati had
asked me to collect some funds for a Ghatikasthanam library that they
wanted to build in honour of the Parmacharya. They even printed letter
heads to make me the "Patron" of the project, but insisted on a
donation.

With great difficulty, I collected Rs.15 lakhs and gave it to them as
Janata Party's gift. When Parmacharya came to know about it, he sent
me a query: "Why should you donate to the Mutt when you are yourself
begging for funds from the people to run your party? Please do not do
it in the future". Since then I have stopped giving donations to any
cause. Beggars cannot donate.

Naturally, when Parmacharya attained samadhi in 1994, I felt like an
orphan in public life. HE was always there when I had a dilemma to set
things right. But I had the God's grace to see him, a living divinity,
for 17 years. Many of his opinions and directions I can never reveal,
because he said them knowing fully well that I will keep it to myself.
But by guided and listening to him, I have become so strong mentally
as a person, that I feel that no one can cow me down or demoralize me
no matter how bad a situation I am in.

Parmacharya taught me that the easiest way to finish an enemy is to
make him a friend. He had urged me not to hate the sin, but the
sinner. Of course, sometimes the easiest way is not available because
of ego clash, and so the sinner has to fought to be made to realize
the sin. But one has to keep in mind that there is a God's scheme,
redemption for the sinner what we call as prayaschitam. The ultimate
revenge belongs to the divine. As human beings we have no right to
revenge; only self-defence and righteous struggle. As Hindus, this is
easy to understand because we believe in the law of Karma. People who
see me fighting fiercely with Indira Gandhi, Chandrasekhar and
Jayalalitha and then working with them get confused or even disgusted
at what they perceive as my opportunism. I do not make up with those I
quarrel with at height of their power, but when they cease to be in
office. The reason for this flexibility in making friends out of
enemies of yester year is the advice that Parmacharya once gave me in
1977: "India is plagued by divisions, and the egos of our rajas had
played havoc with our national security, making it easy for foreigners
to conquer us. Therefore, never hesitate to create unity, without of
course compromising on the fundamental concepts of morality. India has
never forgotten those who unite the nation." I have defined three such
fundamental moral principles.

These three fundamental concepts of morality are

I shall not speak lie, even if I withhold truth.

I shall practice what I shall preach.

What I do will be transparent for all to see. I consider myself
therefore free to plan my political strategy as I see best, without
regard to criticism from my political opponents, but within these
three moral limits.

knr

--
If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.
Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.

  Every moment, thank God