Promote Spiritualism, Not Secularism for communal harmony – Acharya Sabha

The Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha has made a fervent appeal for promotion of Spiritualism rather than secularism as the basis communal harmony and peaceful co-existence between all castes and communities in the country.

Briefing newsmen on the second day proceedings of the ongoing 4th summit of Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha at Hyderabad, Swami Tatva Vidananda Saraswatiji, its spokesman said that spiritualism in all religious schools and thoughts should become preamble of communal harmony rather than the volatile concept of secularism which had led
to many misgivings misinterpretations and misuse of power for political gains.

He said the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha made a case for promotion of spiritualism to replace Secularism in the country to achieve more cohesive and fruitful coming together of all religions, faiths and communities in the country.

He said Swami Dayananda Saraswati convenor of the summit had made a case for ushering of the common civil code in the country, which had not made much progress though it was assured when the Indian constitution adapted fifty years ago. It was high time that the
government paid attention to introducing a common civil code to ensure that all were equal before law.

Swami Dayananda Saraswati also demanded that minority status should be decided on the basis of the ethnic groups and not on the basis of religion. He said such a categorization on the basis of religious practices led to breeding of hostilities and animosities between
small and big religious groups .

Swami Tatva Vidananda said the Acharya Sabha had decided to set up legal cells at all state levels to take up cases of threats to Hindu religion at every level. We laud the efforts of Dr Subramanya Swamy whose efforts had thrown light on the formation of a bank on religious lines in Kerala and was effectively stopped he said. He said Dr Subramanya Swamy had been made the advisor of the legal cells to be set up at apex level. The successful intervention of the Supreme Court in protection of Rama Setu had been possible due to Dr. Swamys service in this regard, the sabha noted.

He said earlier His Holiness Shankaracharya of Dwaraka had highlighted the elegance of Veda to modern living and also the significance of AuM mantra in removing stress and pressures in day to day life .

Swami said that it has been decided to promote a Hindu cell in the parliament within one year under the stewardship of Sr. Ashok Singhal ji and Dr Subramanya Swamy. It is an irony and sad thing that while all other religions had their own cells in the parliament, there was no Hindu cell in spite of the fact that it was a religious faith followed by over 85 percent of the population in the country.

The Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha also demanded that the Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu should be handed over back to the public management by devotees and condemned its take over by the government authorities. Similarly all steps should be taken to hand over the encroached lands and properties of the Hathiramji mutt at Tirumala back to the present management of the Mutt.

The Sabha also expressed its thanks and appreciation for the efforts made by the forum for Religious freedom of US for recognizing the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha and its activities to help Hindus and also promote the message of Hinduism.

Swami Tatvavidananda said the Sabha also appreciated Swami Dayananda Saraswati for his unique service in education sector through the All India Movement for Seva . The six-year-old organization has set up 80 hostels for poor and tribal children all over the country of which 18 were in Andhra Pradesh including one at Hyderabad.

The Hindu dharma Acharya Sabha also decided on the need to promote Sanskrt on par with Hindi and other languages in the country. Only in Gujarat and Uttarakhand, Sanskrit was taught up to 5th standards. Sanskrit was taught even in Great Britain but in India it lacked patronization.

Swami Tatvavidananda said the government should extend patronization to Hindus to take up Kalaisnath and Amaranth yatras on the lines of yatras for Haj and Jerusalem. Both the centre and state governments should provide subsidies and patronize yatras for Hindus within the country if not abroad. Medical facilities are very much needed for all pilgrims to Kailasnath and Amaranth which should be subsidized by the Governments he said.

He made a case for campaign against religious conversions and that people should be given liberty of to choose the religion and faith they wished to follow on their own. He said Proselytisation of any sort was not welcome and should not be tolerated Swami Tatvavidananda said the summit of Acharya Sabha will deliberate and pass resolutions on
various burning issues of the Hindu society tomorrow, the last day of the summit.

Responses