SRI Madara Chennaiya Swamiji of Chitradurga, Karnataka, visited RSS headquarters, Dr Hedgewar Bhavan in Nagpur on February 9. He was welcomed there by senior Sangh leaders including RSS Sarkaryavah Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi, Akhil Bharatiya Pracharak Pramukh Shri Madan Das, RSS Sahsarkaryavah Shri Dattatreya Hosabale and many others. Shri Bhaiyaji Joshi and other leaders washed the feet of Sri Swamiji and welcomed him with garlands.
After an informal discussion on the issues of national interests including social harmony, Sri Madara Chennaiya Swamiji had lunch along with the Sangh leaders at the RSS headquarters. This visit of Sri Madara Chennaiya Swami was historic as it imbued the RSS attempts of rekindling social harmony at all levels. Sri Swamiji represents the so-called lowermost social strata, known as Madiga community of Karnataka, the community which was humiliated for centuries for wrong reasons.
Sri Swamiji was also in national headlines in September last year when he undertook a historic padyatra for social harmony in a Brahmin locality of Mysore. The padyatra was conducted two weeks after the Pejawar Math seer Sri Vishveshteertha visited a Dalit colony during his 72nd Chaturmas Vrita. It led to a harmonious development and received a positive response across the social spectrum.
When the Madiga community seer visited the Brahmin locality in Mysore, the Brahmins of the area decorated their streets with flowers and colours to welcome the seer. After reaching Mysore on September 14, the seer stayed and performed puja and related religious rituals in a Brahmin family of Krishnamoorthy Puram. Next day, he met Pejawar Seer at Krishnadham and discussed various issues of social concerns. At about 8.00am he was welcomed by residents of Krishnamoorthy Puram at 6th Cross Railway Gate. Then the seer conducted the padyatra in the Brahmin locality. The seer later participated in a conference on social harmony at Sri Ram Mandir at Krishnamoorthy Puram in which he addressed selected audience. Several leaders of Brahmin and other communities also participated in the function. Later, the seer visited the RSS Mysore zonal headquarters at Jhansi Lakshmibai Road.
RSS leaders of Karnataka had extended full co-operation in the padyatra of Sri Swamiji. RSS Karnataka Dakshin Prant Sanghachalak Shri M Venkataramu, Prant Karyavah Dr Kalladka Prabhakar Bhat, Prant Prachar Pramukh and Samarasya Vedike convener Shri Vadiraj and several other Sangh leaders were also present on the occasion. Later, Sri Basavamurti Madhara Chennaiya Swamiji met Pejawar seer at Krishnadham, Mysore. The Samarasya Vedike had lent its full support to the Pejavar seer’s visit to Dalit colony. The Vedike is also fully behind Sri Basavamurti in his effort to create a harmonious society. The office-bearers of Samarasya Vedike had spoken to both the seers with a view to create a better understanding between the various strata of the society.
(With inputs from Rajesh Padmar, VSK Karnataka)
