Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nishchalanand Saraswati said that the nation is passing through a crisis and saints are being wrongly humiliated and centres of faith are in the danger of being demolished.
Speaking on the insults heaped on saints, he recalled how the Kanchi Shankaracharya was jailed and Swami Laxmanananda was murdered. After all, what was their fault? His only ?crime? was that he had been serving the Vanvasis for the last 41 years. It is a matter of sorrow for us that his killers have not been arrested till now. After the murder of Swami Laxmanananda, all the infamous church activities should have been exposed, but instead of this, only the opposite has happened. Today the Hindus are being labelled as terrorists in the eyes of the world. This is an attempt to defame and kill the tolerant Hindu nature. Sadhvi Pragya is being tormented in such a way as was never done in the case of any terrorist. Even Afjal Guru, who was convicted in the Parliament attack terrorist act, was not subjected to such a torture as is being meted out to Sadhvi Pragya.
The Shankaracharya was worried that some Hindu themselves, with their own axe to grind, are collaborating with the tormenters. If the Hindu society stands on its feet to retaliate, all such problems can be solved in a trice. There are saints who have lakhs and crores of followers. If they all unite what a formidable force it would be! But if we fail in doing this, each one of us will be insulted and humiliated by turn.
Referring to the RSS and VHP he said thousands of their workers are engaged in the service of the nation just as sannyasis like us. He invoked the names of such saints as Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Swami, Dayananda Saraswati, Shri Asharam Bapu, Morari Bapu, Swami Ramdev etc. and said today Hindu unity is the need of the hour. There is no other alternative or else we will have to suffer humiliation like this.
Speaking about the Ram Sethu, he said the historic site of our faith was conspired to be demolished but the awakened people'sforce thwarted this move. Regarding the recent declaration of the Ganga as National River, he said those willing to demolish the Ram Sethu are just making a drama of this sort. Had they been sincere, they would have first ordered the closure of all the projects being carried on over the sacred river Ganga. (FOC)
