The foresight of Mahaswamigal - Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati

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The foresight of Mahaswamigal - Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam .

 

Article 26 of Constitution of India on Religious Freedom, protection of Religion and religious institution by Law :

 

In the constitution of India Article 26 – deals with freedom to practice religion, protection of our religion and our religious institutions in India by law. The below is an article, translated from a Tamil monthly “Kamakotiâ€, as narrated some years ago by the person Sri Agnihotram Ramanuja Tatacharya who was directly involved physically in the making of this important law.

 

This happened when the freedom movement was at its climax and India about to get independence.

 

There lived a Mahan in Kanchipuram heading the the glorious Kanchi Peetam as the acharya called reverentially as Mahaswamigal, Jagadguru Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati ( the Guru of the present Peetadhipati Jagadguru Sri Jeyendra saraswati).

 

The Jagadguru was camping at a small village called Melur near Kumbhakonam, invited Tatacahraya and few other important personalities and advised the group to put in effort and work immediately for “protection of our religion and our religious institutions by legally fitting into the constitution of independent Indiaâ€. The group at that time understood neither the urgency nor the seriousness of the Mahan’s words because nobody knew when Bharat will be free. But in the next few days after this happened, the group understood the importance of Jagadguru’s words when the British government sent a parliamentary delegation to India .

 

The main purpose of this parliamentary delegation from London is to discuss the future and the new constitution of independent India . The surprising feature in this is no other Muttadhipati or the religious leader seemed to know of the above details.

 

In accordance with wishes of Jagadguru sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamiji , Agnihotram Ramnujatatacharya sent several telegrams to the British delegation. None of them were replied contrary to the expectations of the Agnihotram group. Still the Jagadguru did not lose hope and worked on this. By Daivi sankalpa and by the tapobal of Jagadguru things took unexpected turn.

 

From the office of the English news paper “ The Hindu†came a telegram to Agnihotram to come to Madras ( Chennai) immediately. Agnihotram went with the group to “ The Hindu†office to meet Kasturi Srinivasan ( family member of founder of The hindu) to find that the British Parliamentary delegation from London arriving shortly to the “The Hindu†office and “The Hindu†was hosting a party honoring the delegation.

 

The delegation was introduced to Tatacharya and group. Tatachrya explained to the secretary of the delegation about their telegrams and no replies. The secretary with due respect to the group noting all details advised the group to talk to Mr. Sorensun ( I may be mis-spelling this name in txlation) who is an important member in the delegation. Mr.Sorensun asked the group to give their points in writing and advised them to meet again the British delegation while in Delhi .

 

The group updated the Jagadguru enthusiastically and the Jagadguru asked them to make a note most importantly emphasized the religious freedom should be the birth right (those days the word birth right was not known!) Now it seems The Jagadguru’s usage of the word birth right looks like a precedent to all other things now demanded as birth right.

The group submitted the note in Delhi to Mr. Sorensun. He was surprised to read the note and was happy that the Jagadguru has taken in all factors in the note.

 

After the parliamentary delegation there was delegation of Ministers from London under the leadership of Sir Stafford Cripps ; the Agnihotram group met Sir Cripps, though he accepted the note as it is advised the group to meet the Indian leaders who will be drafting the constitution.

 

This was the time when the freedom movement was at its climax. Tatacharya group met Sardar Patel and appraised him the whole thing. In the beginning Sardar Patel fired the group, later when the group explained about the intent, wish and efforts of the Jagadguru , Sardar Patel was very attracted to this note and remarked thus: “ it is unbelievable in India there is a Muttadhipati like this who is working and bothered about the whole of Bharat instead of his own Mutt and Siddhanta. ; and assured the group that he will do the needful.

 

On the orders of the Kanchi Jagadguru, Tatacharya group met all the Muttadhipatis and religious leaders and informed of their activity and updated them. All Mutt heads acknowledged they are hearing first time about this very important information and approved the actions and thanked profusely the Kanchi Jagadguru. In this meetings the most important is the approval from the Sringeri Peetadhipati Jagadguru Sri Chandrashekara Bharati .

 

India became independent. A group to frame constitution of India was set-up. Those were the days when no one gave importance to either freedom to practice religion or protection of religion through law. Only the Jagadguru from his camp now in Kizhambi was bothered about these things.

 

On his Tapabal alone all work in connection with this was going on right track. The Jagadguru invited the leading lawyers, explained to them and asked them draft giving suitable shape legal document. The group of lawyers with a great difficulty drafted a long document. The government group framing constitution rejected this draft from lawyers for this reason it is very lengthy and asked them to present a more concise document.

Kanchi Jagadguru Himself took this task of giving the legal document a final shape concise in the form of Article26 which is now a part of Indian constitution.

 

Dr. Ambedkar , seeing the foresightedness and the medhavilas of the Jagadguru , was astonished and accepted the Article 26 as it is.

 

Not only Hindus but also followers of other religions are able to practice their religion with absolute freedom today is because of the great Jagadguru of Kanchi Sree Chandrasekharendra Saraswati ‘s boundless grace on us.

 

Another surprise in this issue is: this sharat was in the state government list and the Mahan asked them to change to Central Government list which the Tatacharya group was reluctant to take –up with the government of India because Nehru thought already the central government list is heavy and wanted no more in the list. Tatacharya group met Jawaharlal Nehru and explained the issue and Nehru readily accepted as it is.

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