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DEC 04, 2004

C.V.SRINIVASAN
NEW: 14 OLD: 13 III CROSS STREET
KARPAGAM GARDENS, ADYAR
CHENNAI 600 020
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Smt. Anuradha Ramanan Tel: 2442 1192
Journalist / Short Story Writer, FB -9 Balakrishna Iyer Street
Tiruvanmiyur, Chennai 600 041

Smt. Anuradha Ramanan

Sub: Your TV – Media interviews on Nov 28/29, 2004 about Kanchi Sankaracharya

From November 11, 2004 until December 04, 2004, each day we get sensational news / TV media channel information on Kanchi Sankaracharya’s arrest on Sankararaman’s murder (on September 3, 2004 at Kancheepuram Varadarajar Temple at broad day light in temple premises)

Media/ TV Channels / Local Tamil / All leading Journals are vying with each other to give some gossip / guess / some partly true / some partly un-true information on Kanchi Mutt and in particular about Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swami – who is under arrest for criminal offence trials. Leading political parties participate in this (giving varying views – “for or against” this arrest + the trials and methods of interrogation / information by Tamil Nadu police).

On Nov. 28 / 29, most TV media channels showed + Tamil newspapers published your recorded statement / your interviews with the media and women’s organizations.

I am not a devotee / not a supporter of Kanchi Mutt. I believe in God. Largely, I respect the sanctity of saint governing institutions like the Kanchi Mutt - built by Sri Adi Sankara – 2500 years back – based on “Advaita philosophy” of Hindu religion.

I read extracts of your six-page statement on TV channels / a part of this published in leading Tamil newspapers the next day. To me, as a neutral observer, I tend to believe there could be some element of truth in your statements (I am not a disciple of Kanchi Mutt or I do not know you also)

You stated that this incident had occurred in 1992 – i.e., the present Kanchi Acharya, facing murder trial charges / now under judicial custody, used provocative personal foul / abusive / immoral words + also explicitly expressed interest for sexual relations with you.

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In 1992, the Head of Kanchi Mutt was the “Mahaswami – Paramacharya - as people continue to revere him. He was still alive then. He might have lived a reclusive life from the world. Still Paramacharya knew about all activities of the Mutt – including of his two deputies – viz., Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swami / Sri Vijendra Saraswathi Swami.

You knew personally “Mahaswami” and had easy access to meet the “Paramacharya” any time due to this proposal to have a religious journal by the Kanchi Mutt (four rounds of meetings).

I wonder what prevented you to gather moral strength to approach him and apprise of this specific incident of foul languages with explicitly expressed sex intention. This is a serious insinuation against the next Acharya - who was managing day-to-day the Kanchi Mutt in 1992.

I also wonder if “Paramacharya” would have simply kept quiet - being Head of the Kanchi Mutt in 1992 for this alleged, “moral degradation set under his own eye”. I wonder if he would have turned a blind’s eye on such serious allegations of sexual motives and desires expressed / shown by his deputy–in-command. The present Acharya was already a “Sanyasi” – for > 40 years standing in 1992. I am sure that “Paramacharya” would not have kept quiet for “moral degradation” to set in Kanchi Mutt during his lifetime.

Your statements did not ever mention a word about your meeting the “Paramacharya” in 1992. You had only stated that you did not want the name of Kanchi Mutt to be tarnished from 1992. You had only stated that you suffered mentally / physically (health wise) due to the repeated threats and assault attempts later in your life and on your family personnel by Kanchi Mutt.

To me, it looked, that you tried to sensationalize the issue to bring some element of melo-drama at a time of crisis for the Kanchi Mutt. For Ex: you have stated that in a lift the nurse after coming out of ECG / X-ray wanted to inject drips with some needle injections through the drip bottle (i.e., injecting poison killing intravenous injecting medicines given by two henchmen of Kanchi Sankara Mutt in the lift). This can happen in cinema and not in real situation.

I wonder if any duty conscious professionally qualified nurse or even a doctor would inject intravenous drip medicines while walking in a corridor or in a lift in the presence of strangers.

Drip medicines – as far as I know – are administered in any hospital under the specific instructions of the Chief doctor attending on ICU / ICCU. It is not administered by a nurse, however experienced and qualified she / he may possess, without permission from doctor. Second, a senior police officer helped you for this admission in a nursing home. You were under watchful treatment. No doctor or nurse would attempt poison injections in a lift - when strangers are present / more so when a senior police officer had arranged for this treatment in hospital.

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Your statements appear to be melo-dramatic with publicity linkage (I am not a disciple of Kanchi Mutt). I have great respect for the Kanchi Sankara Mutt for upholding Hindus traditions and Hindu philosophy so well for the last 2500 years.

Your sensational reports / statements, I guess, may have partly hidden truth or also appeared to gain publicity based on personal agenda / grievance against the Kanchi Mutt and the Kanchi Sanakaracharya. However, I offer my personal sympathies to you for the untold suffering from 1992 until date.

The Kanchi Mutt – with 2500 years of rich historic standing (both moral and religious qualities) to propagate Hindu Advaita philosophy had suffered immense damage in the last 20 days since the day of arrest of the present Kanchi Sankaracharya.

As far as I know, Kanchi Mutt identifies a “Sanyasi” from boyhood days. He is selected, trained with severe stress on personal moral rigor, discipline, and with religious duties from young age of 10 or slightly older. Kanchi Mutt had preserved this high tradition for centuries. “Paramacharya” enhanced this in 20th Century to get world acclaim for the Kanchi Mutt.

If the present Kanchi Acharya – now under arrest – had been really a different person – as alleged by you of moral indiscipline even during the lifetime of “Paramacharya”, all of us support your cause and the agony and torture you had undergone for over 12 years.

This attitude by the present Kanchi Acharya, allegedly exhibited to you in 1992 – even if it were partially true – as stated and reported in TV channels, is condemnable. This is a total shock and I consider this as a disgrace to the entire Hindu society. All our faith and belief in the moral pedestals on such religious heads of any institution will crumble and fall to pieces. I wish this were not true.

Finally, TV channels / newspapers are over-playing on this sensation of Kanchi Acharya arrest. It appears that they would like to pre-judge / do character assassination in advance. This is what is happening – I guess - in tarnishing the Kanchi Mutt / the Kanchi Sanakaracharya during this current crisis from the day of arrest until December 04, 2004.

If Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swami – Kanchi Mutt Head now - is guilty on charges framed, for murder complicity, we will have no sympathies for his actions. Let him face the trail in dignity, honor and prove that he is guilty or not. If he is guilty, we will condemn him fully.

If Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swami – Kanchi Mutt Peetathipathi – now - is not a true Sanayasi to meet to the Kanchi Mutt rigors he deserves to be condemned once for all.

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Moreover, if he had really deviated from the Hindu religious philosophies enshrined by his illustrious predecessors of Kanchi Mutt, he deserves to be condemned equally.

On the other hand, if he were a true Sanyasi in Kanchi Mutt tradition, all these sensations created by people like you / media should be condemned and punished unequivocally in courts and by public against false allegations and mis-information in times of crisis for this historic institution upholding Hindu “Dharma” for so many centuries.

I am surprised how a journalist / short story writer (like you) would like to make sensation news – utilizing the crisis time for the Kanchi Mutt by such slanderous and incongruous statements to gain publicity. This, to me, looks like cheap publicity and not on 100% truth- that you vouch.

If your statements are 100% true, you have done service to Indian society by bringing truth. Faith in religious institutions and on those governing the institutions will totally crumble in Indian society in future.

If it were half-truth combined with publicity, you have done disservice to the society.

If it is complete false allegation, then you deserve to be condemned and face severe court charges and public condemnation for letting loose false information for personal ends / grievances.

I appeal to you and the media / newspapers not to pre-judge and stop this slander campaigns forthwith on this great Kanchi Sankara Mutt institution henceforth.

Yours sincerely

C.V.Srinivasan
December 04, 2004

Copy to:
Manager, Kanchi Sankara Mutt, Kancheepuram – Note: I am not a devotee of Kanchi Mutt.

I have a great respect for the historic tradition maintained by the mutt upholding Hindu Advaita Philosophy close to 2500 years, I am shocked and pained at reading such shocking and mis-information campaign by people - who are allegedly close to the Mutt during the time of crisis for the Kanchi Mutt. This looks like personal grievance being aired in public to cause discomfort to the Swami and to the Mutt. I wish these allegations were not true.