Swami Sachidananda, Chief of Sreenarayana Dharma Sangham, Sivagiri, stated on January 3 that Gurudeva’s philosophy and Sanatana Dharma are one and the same. Swamiji explained that Sanatana Dharma is universal, and Sreenarayana philosophy is its physical form. He mentioned that Gurudev himself had clarified this during an interview. Gurudev’s declaration that ‘One caste, one religion, one God for men’ signifies Sanatana Dharma. Swamiji referred to Gurudev’s last speech in Pallathuruthi, Alappuzha district, in 1927. Sanatana Dharma is universal and does not belong to Hindus alone.
Clearly, Swamiji’s speech comes in the wake of CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s recent blasphemous remarks against Sanatana Dharma. Pinarayi claimed that Gurudev was neither the spokesman nor the proponent of Sanatana Dharma, and that Sanatana Dharma was nothing but Varnashrama Dharma. He alleged that there were attempts to confine Gurudev within the boundaries of Sanatana Dharma.
Pinarayi made these comments in the presence of Swami Sachidananda, BJP leader P.K. Krishnadas, and Vellappalli Natesan, the General Secretary of Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), the community organisation for Hindu Ezhavas, which was founded by Sreenarayana Gurudev.
Swamiji stated that Gurudev suggested to those seeking religious conversion to return to Sanatana Dharma. He clarified that Sanatana Dharma has nothing to do with Chaturvarna. Christianity and Islam could only enter Bharat because of the dominance of Sanatana Dharma in Bharat. Over time, however, Sanatana Dharma underwent significant decay and degeneration, beginning with the arrival of the caste system and, consequently, untouchability. Sreenarayana Gurudev, Swami Vivekananda, and Swami Dayananda Saraswati all made concerted efforts to eradicate this from Hindu society.
Sachidananda Swamiji added that Gurudev stated that man is above religion and should strive to be good, irrespective of his faith. Today, Sanatana Dharma lacks values, and we feel the powerful influence of casteism and Chaturvarna. Some interpret this as part of Sanatana Dharma. We must rid ourselves of this misconception. Sanatana Dharma existed long before religions entered the scene. It is Bharat’s culture.
V Muraleedhran, BJP leader and former Union Minister, welcomed Swami Sachidananda’s statement. He expressed his satisfaction that Swamiji himself had corrected Pinarayi. He mocked the Chief Minister, suggesting that he should ask his ghostwriters to pay more attention to their work. Muraleedhran also said that it is up to the believers and devotees to decide whether temple traditions should change. Atheists like Pinarayi and CPM State Secretary M.V. Govindan have no say in the matter. He further stated that covering the face and eyes in the name of religious tradition is outdated, and wondered if both CPM leaders would dare to demand changes to that tradition. He noted that Kerala CM’s views on renaissance are aimed at Sanatana Dharma and Hindus because Sanatana Dharma practises tolerance. He reminded the CM not to attack religious beliefs and suggested that he focus on controlling Saji Cheiryan, the Culture Minister, who supports the younger generation being influenced by drug consumption. Muraleedhran stated that his speech at Sivagiri aimed to expose the CPM leaders’ continuous attempts to portray Gurudev as merely a social reformer.
#WATCH | BJP leader V Muraleedharan says, "Even while the Congress leader of Kerala and the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly disagrees with the Chief minister's comments on Sanatan Dharm and opposes the term of saffronization, his own party president of Kerala has… pic.twitter.com/ihIfQYHqQn
— ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2025
BJP State President K Surendran reacted on January 4, stating that Pinarayi should not interfere with dress codes in temples. He questioned if the CM had no other job to do and challenged him to call for the entry of women into all mosques in the state and to put an end to the purdah system.
Protests are intensifying across Kerala as INDI CM Pinarayi Vijayan outrageously tried to Undermine the faith and insult the contribution of Sree Naryana Guru.
Congress Kerala State President @KSudhakaranINC has also endorsed this stance, exposing their collective agenda of INDI… pic.twitter.com/cHQhk2jKGy— BJP KERALAM (@BJP4Keralam) January 2, 2025
Meanwhile, KB Ganeshkumar, leader of Kerala Congress (B) and a minister in the CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) government, said that every temple has its own tradition. If any government official or minister has a differing opinion, it should be discussed with the temple’s Thanthri, the final authority on matters regarding the deity and temple. He stated that only those who believe in the temple tradition should go there, while others should stay away. He was reacting to the CM’s statement regarding the dress code for temple-goers.
In the meantime, Vellappalli Natesan, General Secretary of Sree Narayan Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP Yogam), said that Hindu unity is the need of the hour. Hindus must stand united despite differences in rituals across communities. Christianity has various denominations, yet they unite in the name of Christ. Similarly, Muslim denominations unite as well. The Palakkad by-election proved this. The LDF did everything it could for them, but they did not vote for the LDF. Vellappalli made this statement while speaking to the media. He explained that his earlier position had been for the unity of Hindus ‘from Nayadi (nomads) to Nambootiri (Brahmins)’; now he has extended it ‘from Nayadi to Nasraani (Christians)’. Hindus no longer have internal divisions. The Nasraani community is large, but Christians still face many problems.
The Nair Service Society (NSS), the community organisation for Hindu Nairs, also criticised the CM’s support for changes in temple customs. Speaking at the 148th Mannam Jayanthi celebrations in Changanasserry, Kottayam, on 2 January (celebrating the 148th birthday of Mannath Padmanabhan, founder of NSS and a great Hindu social reformer and close fellow-traveller of RSS and the second Sarsanghchalak of RSS, Guruji Golwalkar), NSS General Secretary G. Sukumaran Nair said that believers have the right to choose whether to wear shirts inside the temple, without external interference. He asked if the CM would dare to challenge the practices of non-Hindu religions.
Meanwhile, CPM State Secretary MV Govindan has added insult to the injury caused by CM Pinarayi Vijayan by stating that the term ‘Sanatana Dharma’ is obscene. His statement has drawn the ire of all right-thinking people in the state.
Interestingly, the first supporting statement Pinarayi received came from the leadership of the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political wing of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), the Islamic fundamentalist group.
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