From S. Kalyanaraman
The three-day Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha conference convened by Swami Dayanand Saraswati of Arsha Vidya Gururkulam was held in Mumbai on October 16, 17 and 18. It concluded after unanimously passing several resolutions for future action. Over 400 high ranking dharma gurus, muthadhipatis, peethadhipatis and mahamandaleswars, and other acharyas from all parts of India attended the conference as delegates. Among the special invitees were Janata Party President and former union cabinet minister Dr. Subramanian Swamy and VHP leader Shri Ashok Singhal. Two of the significant resolutions passed were: the deploring of the criminal cases filed against the Kanchi Mutt Shankaracharyas, and to set up a permanent office of the Acharya Sabha in New Delhi to coordinate the Sabha activities and galvanise action for defending the Hindu faith against onslaught by national and international forces.
The Acharya Sabha represents the first significant effort for consolidation of Hindu authority into an apex body in recent years after the VHP Dharma Sansad had been formed for the Ramjanmabhoomi movement. Speakers at the conference spoke of the assault on Hindu faith in a nation of more than 80 per cent Hindus. All felt that an instrument must be forged to seek an effective Hindu-minded leadership at the political level. They felt that at this hour the Hindu vote must be consolidated into a vote bank, and be cast for those candidates who adhere to an acceptable Hindu agenda. The highlight of the conference was the address of Dr. Subramanian Swamy on the ?Fundamentals of Hindu Unity and the Concept of Hindustan?. Introducing Dr. Swamy to the gathering, Swami Dayanand Saraswati said: ?Dr. Swamy has been invited here not as a political leader, but as a scholar of repute, in fact a Harvard don, as a person of eminence who has contributed importantly and more so courageously for Hindu unity and integrity. He is ?Swamy? in name but recently he has demonstrated he is one in deed too.?
Dr. Swamy, though hailing from Tamil Nadu, delivered his speech in Sanskritised Hindi for which the Acharya Sabha cheered him. He highlighted the nature of the crisis confronting Hindus today as clandestine and pernicious that is different from the crisis that was overt and obvious when centuries ago, Mahmud Ghazni destroyed Somnath Temple or Ghori defeated Prithviraj or Clive plundered Hindustan. He said, Hindus are under siege today and most Hindus do not realise it. Dr. Swamy said that today Islamic and Christian onslaught is multidimensional, psychologically subtle, and media savvy. He added, that we should be alarmed that a bogus murder case that was filed on the holiest of acharyas of Kanchi is really a mischievous international conspiracy of certain Christian forces working through a Catholic lady in Delhi. And yet most Hindus are debating whether to speak out or not. The assault or undermining of other Hindu icons is continuing in other holy spots such as Tirupati, Akshar Dham and Ayodhya, and will increase if we do not stand up and fight this trend. Dr. Swamy also pointed to the demographic restructuring of India that is taking place through a combination of faster minority population growth, illegal migration from Bangladesh, money-induced conversion to Islam and Christian faiths, and by legislating for reservations in jobs and higher education for Muslims and dalit Christians. We should oppose all this. Pointing to a recent conference in Dallas, Texas of Christian organisations, Dr. Swamy said, with the Vatican and Pope'sblessings, a target of 100 million conversions to Christian faith of Hindus has been set for achievement within 15 years. Money is no constraint for this project. He said that opponents of Hindu faith have a clear agenda and are working resolutely to achieve it. But unfortunately Hindus have no clarity or even awareness on how to combat this onslaught. Hence, he said, the Acharya Sabha should design an agenda by which we can define a virat Hindu. It is not enough if today'sHindu is pious or rich. What matters is the mindset of the Hindu that recognises that India that is Hindustan shall forever be a nation of Hindus and those whose ancestors are Hindus or those we accepted in our land as refugees [Parsis, Jews and Syrian Christians]. Such Hindus must always retaliate in a deterrent way when attacked even mildly. Past standing symbols of aggression against Hindus, such as mosques and churches built on ancient temples, must be demolished, he emphasised. He further said that the Hindus must accept without any doubt or reservation those who want to return to the religion of their ancestors. And finally Dr. Swamy said that all Hindus must pledge to learn Sanskrit or make their children learn Sanskrit since all Indian languages have a high proportion of Sanskrit vocabulary.
Upon ending his speech all the acharyas gave him a prolonged ovation. Some even presented him with angavastrams.
