Call of sattra darshan in Delhi
To save Assam, save sattras
By Pramod Kumar
http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?
name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=160&page=39
www.koushikhazarika.co.nr
"Since Assam is part and parcel of India, its cultural legacy
belongs to the whole nation. When this legacy comes under any
threat, it becomes the responsibility of the entire country to
protect it. We, all the Sattradhikars from Assam, have assembled in
New Delhi to apprise the countrymen as to how the traditional
culture of Assam and the great sattra tradition formed by Shrimant
Shankardev are facing onslaughts. The Bangladeshi infiltrators and
the conversion on gun-point have made the life of local people
miserable," said Shri Bhadrakrishna Goswami, president of the Asom
Sattra Mahasabha while talking to Organiser in New Delhi. He was
participating in the two-day sattra darshan function organised by
the Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture (VKIC), Guwahati, on
November 25 at the Satya Sai International Auditorium.
He said the Bangladeshis are grabbing their land forcefully and the
administration appears helpless and ineffective. "People are being
converted on gun point. Economically, too, we are living in a very
miserable condition. It has become very difficult for our people to
survive and preserve the centuries old legacy. We hope people of the
country and the government officials sitting in Delhi would listen
to our woes and address them without wasting time. Almost all the
Sattradhikar Prabhus, head of the sattras, expressed similar
concern. An exhibition on Srimant Shankaradev and Vivekananda Kendra
was inaugurated by Shri Janardhan Dev Goswami, Sattradhikar and Sri
Sri Uttar Kamalabari Sattra.
Besides over 450 scholars, intellectuals and educationists of Delhi,
15 Sattradhikar Prabhus, 14 scholars and 26 artists from Assam
participated in the function that concluded on November 26 at the
Chinmaya Mission Auditorium. Assam Chief Minister, Shri Tarun Gogoi
was expected to attend the concluding ceremony but he did not turn
up. At the inaugural ceremony, Shri P. Parameswaran, president,
Vivekananda Kendra, Kanya-kumari, welcomed all the Sattradhikar
Prabhus and dignitaries by presenting them holy angavastram of
Assam. Swami Dayananda Saraswati, Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Coimbatore,
Lt. Gen. (retd.) Shri S.K. Sinha, Governor of Jammu and Kashmir,
Shri D.N. Bezboruah, founder editor of The Sentinal and Shri Narayan
Chandra Goswami of Sri Sri Natun Kamalabari Sattra, Majuli, were
among the prominent personalities who were present at the inaugural
ceremony.
It was a spiritual, intellectual and cultural journey though the
sattra institution, which symbolises collective consciousness for
collective good of humanity. The cultural activities presented on
the occasion by Assamese artists brought Assam alive in Delhi.
Extending total support to the sattra movement, Swami Dayanand
Saraswati said destruction of culture is taking place in Assam and
the Hindus of the country have to protect it from the aggressive
forces. He said Hinduism has the twin role of not only upholding its
values but also withstanding the onslaught of aggressive forces. "We
can learn a lot by studying the history of the sattras and the role
they have played in preserving our dharma in Assam. Sattras are
great institutions founded by a great visionary Shankardev. Since he
had a vision, he founded the sattras that later preserved the
dharma," he said further adding that the aggression against Hindu
dharma is highly organised, well planned and ruthless. "When I look
at the Hindu dharma, I feel if it has to survive, a lot of things
have to be done. The study of sattras will help us in this cause. It
will help the sattras also," he added.
Speaking at the concluding ceremony, Shri P. Parameswaran said
Shrimant Shankardev did the multi-dimensional work and gave a new
direction to the Assamese society. He said the idea behind starting
the sattra tradition was not only for Assam, but also for the entire
nation. Talking about the threats of demographic imbalance and
conversion in the northeast region, he said only the sattra
tradition can hold Assam back. He said if Assam is lost, India would
be crippled. Only the sattras can provide the leadership. Looking at
the importance of sattra vis-à-vis India, he said, the world is
looking to India for spiritual sustenance. The whole world needs
Bharat, Bharat needs Assam and Assam needs the sattras.
Lauding the initiative of the sattra darshan, Lt. Gen. (retd.) S.K.
Sinha who has a long association with Assam, said Shankardev
represented a unique institution. "He tried to break the barriers of
caste. He believed that the caste should not be on the basis of
birth but on the basis of karma. Both Swami Vivekananda and
Shankardev were not Brahmin by birth, but they proved themselves
greatest Brahmins of their time. Today we see caste dominating
politics all over the country, but in Assam it has no role because
of the great legacy of Shrimant Shankardev. I feel this legacy
should not confine only to Assam but should spread across the
country," said the former Governor of Assam who started his army
career at the age of 18 from Assam itself.
Shri Sinha expressed concern over the growing demographic aggression
in Assam. He said the identity of Assam is going to be compromised
and the day is not far when the indigenous people of the state would
become minority in their own land. "The infiltration from Bangladesh
has posed a great thereat to the national security of the entire
nation. Though I passed several researched reports on it, but they
failed to bring any change," he added.
Shri D.N. Bezboruah said it is impossible to think of Assam without
the sattras. "If there is no sattra, there will be no Assam. It is
the duty of the entire country, including the government, to promote
and preserve such a great tradition," he said. He further added that
during the freedom movement also the sattras and the Sattradhikar
Prabhus played an important role. "Some sattras are today facing a
severe financial crisis. They must be trained to earn better. They
should explore new possibilities and should adopt modern technology
and tools. I feel the Sattra Mahasabha should formulate a 50-year
long programme to undertake certain things," he said. The terrorism
in the state had affected everything and everyone. "The government
is not helpful. The most unfortunate thing is that the
democratically elected government too supports the Bangladesh
immigrants who have developed demographic imbalance in the region,"
he added.
Shri Balakrishna, national vice president of Vivekananda Kendra said
the VKIC is successful in instilling the spirit of nationalism in
the people of north-eastern region. Calling the sattras as soul of
Assam, he said the VKIC has been trying to strengthen and spread
them in remote areas of the region. He pointed out that the
Vivekananda Kendra has a large network of service centers in north-
east region. Describing it a national yajna, he called upon the
countrymen to help in this cause. Shri Dipok Barthakur, chairman of
the VKIC, said there are about 862 big and small sattras in Assam
but their existence is unknown in the country. "This event is an
effort to make people familiar with this great tradition," he said.
www.koushikhazarika.co.nr
