Jesus Christ had said that ‘no prophet is honoured in his own country.’ I am reminded of this maxim as a journalist and a witness to the ongoing protests concerning handing over of land to build ‘Swami Vivekananda Smaraka’ (Viveka Memorial) by a section of people since May 2013 when Siddharamaiah of the Congress became the Chief Minister.

Siddharamaiah supported the protesters, leading to the prevention of physical handing over of the land to Sri Ramakrishna (R.K.) Ashram.

Thus was halted the construction of ‘Viveka Memorial’ to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda whom the then Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh called as “One of India’s greatest spiritual leaders” and a revered figure in  India’s history and culture.

This is one of the projects proposed by the then UPA Government which had set up the National Committee for Commemoration of 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Its first meeting was held on 20th May 2010 with the Prime Minister presiding. Eleven years have passed and our city, visited by the great Hindu Monk who stayed at the Niranjan Mutt, was chosen for the honour of a Memorial.  Sadly it is caught in the web of protests and Court cases with no sign of early resolution either way.

Osho Rajneesh was giving his regular discourse. That morning it was about enlightenment and meditation. It was in the early 1970s at his Koregaon Park Ashram, Pune. I was present. As I was ruminating over the present agitation by a section of the people and the Court cases, I also remembered this discourse by Osho. ‘We should become seekers. Seekers of truth. In matters mundane and spiritual. Like a flowing stream seeking to join a river, the river seeking to join the ocean and become the ocean…’

This made me think of a bigger picture of my life and of the society I live in. I am a mere stream and I have forgotten the possibility of becoming an ocean. I have also forgotten about the river, the one that will carry me to the ocean…

I was meditating on what Osho had said in that morning discourse. Wondered, if the stream could be the people, the river the R.K. Ashram and the ocean the Viveka Memorial! What if the stream in its ego refuses to join the river and remains as a pool? It misses the opportunity of becoming the ocean! Well, as a pool it may stagnate, become a cesspool of contaminated or poisonous water endangering the aquatic life. Meditate again. What happens if it casts away the ego, abjures its wrongly assumed role as saviour of the society and merges with the river? Soon it is bound to become an ocean. Alleluia!

Osho, in one context, used the term enlightened self-interest. It is only when individuals display qualities of enlightened self-interest these individuals can be a light unto the self and the positive growth of the society. Self-interest and ego are survival instincts. But these should not dominate our life to overwhelm the good of the society of which we are a part…

Be that as it may, let us remember that the idea of ‘Viveka Memorial’ was based on the UPA Government’s decision. The then BJP Government in the State headed by Jagadish Shettar transferred the NTM School building and land abutting to R.K. Ashram’s property Niranjan Mutt on Jan. 9, 2013.  The reason was that the Niranjan Mutt is in a very small area for constructing the ‘Viveka  Memorial’. At that time the NTM School was almost defunct with the building in a dilapidated condition.

It is ironic that the incumbent BJP Chief Minister, B.S. Yediyurappa, instead of undoing the injustice done by the Congress Government, perpetuated the same policy by sending a memo to the Mysuru Deputy Commissioner directing not to handover the NTM School to R.K. Ashram. What kind of governance this? God only knows.

BJP Central Government should intervene directly in this matter and direct its Chief Minister not to interfere and make a mockery of its own Government’s decision. According to reports, the case before the Divisional Bench in the High Court had gone against the protesters. However, I learn, there is still another case pending in the High Court. So wait for another judgement day.

In the midst of all this, on June 30, a conciliatory meeting was held at Suttur Mutt in the august presence of the revered Seer Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji attended by the contending parties and the BJP Vice-President B.Y. Vijayendra.

Of course, they met, discussed and agreed to meet another day that is not specified. Knowing Suttur Mutt’s hospitality, after a sumptuous tea and snacks.

I have been observing our local politicians for over 45 years now as a journalist and their opinions concerning our city’s development. V. Sreenivasa Prasad, MP, now BJP, has always been socially and politically enlightened. I saw the press statement he had issued after that failed conciliatory meeting at the Suttur Mutt. To jest, it was like the failed round-table conference attended by no less a person than Mahatma Gandhi. Let it be.

An experienced senior politician, he had rightly recalled a meeting between the representatives of the R.K. Ashram and the NTM School presided over by the then Chief Minister Siddharamaiah. Sreenivasa Prasad, who was the Revenue Minister then, was also present. Since the case regarding the issue was in the Court, the meeting decided to allow the Court to decide. Yes, the issue became sub judice. Eight years passed…

Now the Court has decided in favour of the Ashram, but one more case is pending and again the waiting period has started for the judgement of this case.

Sreenivasa Prasad has advised the parties concerned to honour the decision of the Court considering it as their duty.

He has also opined that this is a socially beneficial project, specially to our youths, if it materialises. But, is it not his Government’s duty to ensure the project materialises? Only a Government opposed to this project or the one which is weak will make the project fail.

I am also of the opinion that it will do greatest good to the greatest number of our youths. May the spirit of Swami Vivekananda prevail and the project bloom.

Tailpiece: Among the five good Roman Emperors, Marcus Aurelius was considered one and best known as the author of the Philosophical work “Meditations.”

He has many quotable quotes in his writings and one of them from the “Meditations” I would like to quote here for the benefit of the warriors of ‘Viveka Memorial’:

“Begin each day by telling yourself: Today I shall be meeting with interference, ingratitude, insolence, disloyalty, ill-will and selfishness — all of them due to the offenders’ ignorance of what is good or evil.”s

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