Indira Gandhi married a Parsi, but never converted:Shankaracharya Swaroopanand Saraswati
Wednesday, April 20, 2016 - 17:33
Haridwar: Dwaraka Sharda Peeth Shankaracharya Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, heaped praise on former prime minister Indira Gandhi,
saying that she fell in love with a Parsi and married him, but didn't convert to
that particular religion.
While praising Indira
Gandhi, the 94-year-old seer said, the ex-PM always worshipped devi devtas and never adopted foreign culture, a report
published in Amar Ujala said.
He also said that the
Nehru family sacrificed lives while working for the country.
Opinions on Shirdi Sai Baba
Swami Swaroopanand in July 2014 caused controversy due to his remarks against Indian guru Shirdi Sai Baba
and his followers. After government minister Uma Bharti publicly
claimed devotion to Shirdi Sai Baba, Swaroopanand demanded an apology
from her and wrote that "there is no mention of Sai Baba in the Shastras and the Vedas” so he “should not be worshiped with Hindu gods. He was not god, he was just a Muslim Fakir" (referring to Shirdi Sai Baba's Muslim origins). He also said that Shirdi Sai Baba was one "who used to eat meat and worship Allah, a man like that can never be a Hindu god", that he "used to refrain from taking a dip in the river Ganga and asked people to keep him away from Ganga", that "worshiping Sai Baba was part of a conspiracy hatched by people to divide Hindus as the saint was not a God but a human being", that "followers of Sai Baba should not worship Lord Rama", and that "Sai Baba used to say Sabka Malik Ek (god is one for all). If so, why do the Buddhists and Jains worship separate gods?" while acknowledging Shirdi Sai Baba as a great man. He also mobilised the Naga sadhus in enforcing his order that Sai devotees should not be allowed to worship Rama or bathe in the Ganga.
Opinions on ISKCON
Swami Swaroopanand in February 2016 questioned the claim of ISKCON to be a part of Sanatana Dharma
and accused it to be a front for money-laundering, it being used to
send money from India to USA and other foreign countries. Money donated
by Indians were being shunted to the USA. He questioned the growing
number of their temples in India and said that if they were sincere they
should have built them in Assam and Chattisgarh which had fewer temples. Their aim was not religion or spirituality but something else, he claimed.
Opinions on youth and spirituality
Swami Swaroopanand in March 2016 said, "There is an increasing
feeling of `detachment from faith’ among the Hindu youths as compared to
those of other religions. There is a need to include Hindu scriptures
in the curriculum of schools and colleges to prevent the long-term
mental degeneration of Hindus due to influence from anti-Hindu
propaganda that has its clutches deep into almost every socio-cultural
sphere of India. While `they’ have their religious schools to spread
fundamentalism, terrorism and hate preaching, we don’t have a medium to
reach out the Hindu youth about the richness and greatness of our
scriptures and cultural values. It's the central government’s
responsibility to ensure the traditions of this nation are preserved."
Opinions On women worshipping Shani
When feminists tried to enter the sanctum of Shani Shingnapur temple, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, in January 2016, Swami Swaroopanand stated, "Shani
is a kroor (cruel) graha, hence women should beware of worshiping the
deity. Since the effect of Shani is harmful for women, they should be
away from the deity.". Swami Swaroopanand even went on to saying that the entry of women into Shani Shingnapur temple will lead to more rapes.
Opinions on Cow, bull, and bullock protection and export of beef
Swami Swaroopanand in May 2015 welcomed the decision of the
Maharashtra government to extend ban on cow slaughter to bulls and
bullocks in the state and opined that it would increase the production
of milk which will in turn help feed children in the country.. He stated
that more than 12 crore cows were being slaughtered in the entire
country every year which needed to be stopped. "This Act should be
implemented throughout the country. India is a Hindu majority country
still we produce a huge quantity of beef. India is the biggest exporter
of beef which is shameful for us. The government should ban export of
beef and we must protect cows by all means. Some political leaders
opposed the law banning cow slaughter just to appease Muslims and other
minority groups. Providing beef in the name of cheap source of protein
to minority and depriving the majority from milk is against both the
democratic and Indian values. Milk is a rich source of protein, and to
ensure availability of milk it is essential to put a blanket ban on cow
slaughter across the country."
He said in February 2016 that the RSS claimed to be working for
Hinduism but thousands of RSS workers in Arunachal Pradesh ate beef.
Opinions On River Ganga pollution
Swami Swaroopanand in June 2012 told Uttarakhand CM Vijay Bahuguna
his stance against having hydro projects, dams, and barrages on the
River Ganga. He also organised a protest at Jantar Mantar against such
projects. Hydro projects at Panch Prayag, Deo Prayag, Rudra Prayag,
Karan Prayag, Nand Prayag, and Vishnu Prayag, were affecting local
ecology and sanctity of the Ganga; since it was being dammed at numerous
sites and being confined into cemented tunnels, natural, mineral
quality ingredients and anti-bacterial elements in the waters of the
Ganga were being lost.
Swami Swaroopanand in January 2016 noted the pitiable condition of
the River Ganga and stated that the proposed dams in Uttarakhand should
not be constructed to ensure the free flow of the pure water from the
sources of the River. Only the free flow is required for a clean Ganga,
he said.
Freedom Struggle
At 19 years old he became a freedom fighter in the Quit India movement
in 1942 and was known as "Revolutionary Sadhu". He was jailed, serving
two prison sentences for the same of 9 months & 6 months.
About Swami Ji
After Guru Dev's passing in 1953, Swami Shantanand was enthroned Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math on 12th June 1953. But Swarupanand took up with a new guru,Swami
Krishnabhodashram ji Maharaj. who was separately
established Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math on 25th June 1953 by
Swami Karpatri. thus began interminable succession disputes.
Swami Swarupanand
became president of the 'Ramrajya Parishad Party' (set up by Swami
Karpatri), and on Krishnabhodashram's demise the post of Shankaracharya
of Jyotir Math passed to Swami Swarupanand. There were now two
Shankaracharya ashrams in Joshimath, Swami Swaroopanand's being on the site of Trotakacharya's cave, just below the ashram that Guru Dev Swami Brahmanand had built in the 1940's.
In 1982 Swami Swaroopanand inherited the title of Shankaracharya of Dwarka.
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