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Newsgroups: alt.hindu
Path: kumar
From: kumar@caddac1.uwaterloo.ca (M. Jagadesh Kumar)
Subject: Kerala Government Betrays Sringeri Shankaracharya
Message-ID: <CorxGp.FG8@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca>
Sender: news@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Sun, 24 Apr 1994 17:19:37 GMT
Kerala Government Betrays Sringeri Shankaracharya
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The legislation for establishing a Sanskrit University after the name of Adi
Shankaracharya at his birthplace, Kalady, has been a subject-matter of
controversy as a provision in the bill to appoint the Shankaracharya of
Sringeri Mutt as the Chief Counsellor of the Varsity was left out on the
opposition of Islamic fundamentalists in the Congress and the Muslim League.
Shankaracharya of Sringeri in now the Chief Counsellor of the Sri Sankara
Sanskrit University which came into being a few months ago. The ordinance
providing his appointment was cleared by the government thougth it included
Muslim League and pro-Christian Kerala Congress. But when the bill for the
approval of the ordinance was introduced in State Assembly, Congress(I), IUML,
Kerala Congress and the opposition benches opposed the provision. Some Congress
(I) and CPM members even went to the extent of saying that the Shankaracharya
of Sringeri was a religious fanatic and an "RSS man"!
The Muslim League was not willing to accept the Shankaracharya. Chief Misnister
Karunanidhi persuaded the League ministers to accede to the proposal. The Sate
Education Minister, a Muslim Leaguer, even presented the bill in the Assembly
without raising any objection to the provision for the appoinment of
Shankaracharya as the Chif Counsellor. But his colleagues opposed the bill
during discussion. Some Muslim and Christian members belonging to Congress also
supported them leaving no option for the Chif Minister but to conceded their
demand. The bill was amended to the effect that a Sanskrit scholar will be the
varsity's Chief Counsellor. Now the Government can apooint anybody to that
position.
Ironically, Muslim League Minister for Education had no problem in accepting a
donation of Rs Five lakhs from the same Shankaracharya for the establishment of
the University, the foundation stone of which was laid by the Shankaracharya
himself. It is also learnt that the original proposal was to designate the
Shankaracharya as the Dean of Studies with more powers. But the government went
back on it and decided to make him only the Chief Consellor. Now even that
position is not there.
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Courtesy: The Organiser.
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