fight for reforms in temple rituals and religious practices began decades ago. The renowned Vedantin monk based in Kerala was one of first to demand that women of all ages be allowed into the Sabarimala shrine, and is a litigant seeking court intervention in this. Bhoomananda’s public interventions began with a protracted struggle to put an end to the popular ritual of singing obscene songs during the annual festival in Kodangullur Devi Temple, Kerala. In an interview with ET Magazine , he argues that reason and logic find the prime place in ancient Hindu scriptures, and that any ritual that fails the test of reason should be discarded. Excerpts:In fact my grievance is that India was only considered as a geographical piece of land. India has never been considered as having hosted perhaps the oldest human society in the world . How do we say it is the oldest human society? Archaeological findings apart, about which I don’t have anything to say, we have got documented history. This history is ranging back to thousands and thousands of years. For example, let us take, other things apart, the Ramayana ... According to us, it was written in Treta Yuga. And it speaks about the solar dynasty that ruled India. The Solar dynasty itself is a very interesting name. People now say that earth has come from the sun. So we have given a name to a dynasty called the Solar Dynasty, telling them that your origin is from the Sun. We have got another Lunar Dynasty. These were the two prominent dynasties that ruled the country.Now we have the solar dynasty description, the description of the Sri Rama 's rule by Valmiki in Treta Yuga. And we have the Lunar Dynasty, the Hastinapura Dynasty, the decline and fall of the dynasty described by Veda Vyasa, who was himself the progenitor of that society. That is something that all of you should understand. Veda Vyasa, his son Pandu, Pandu's son Arjuna and party, his son Abhimanyu, Abhimanyu's son Parikshit, his son Janamejaya... Mahabharata was first read in Janamejaya's satra. So Veda Vyasa has written about the six generations that has sprung from him. Then parallely, Bhishma was alive. His father Shantanu, Shantanu's father Pradeepa....so altogether he has covered eight lineages or generations. Himself he is a part of it. So he writes it as an autobiography.Valmiki has written Ramayana as a biography. When Sri Rama abandons Sita at his door, he assures her protection, and says I will arrange for your pregnancy care by a household disciple. I will look after your confinement also. Thus he became a part of it, and Ramayana became an autobiography. So it is a very authentic version.Now we consider some of the scribblings done by so-called Chinese travellers and we accept them. Yet, we refuse to accept the documented version (of our own scriptures). See, when there is a piece of writing in front of us, it must have an author? So the writing means, the author was there, and who was the author? Our own ancestor…Our own India. These two clearly reflect what India was, what her glory was, how eternal it was. It is all prehistoric. When it is prehistoric, it can be 10,000, 10 million or 1 crore years, we cannot say. Prehistoric means prehistoric!Then before these so called Vedas, they were only spoken and heard, later on they were put into the present compiled form. Now this reflects the nature of the society, the glory, the achievement and what not. Also, is there any other civilisation in this world which has recorded in poetry all branches of knowledge? There was a conference in California some years ago. They say poetry is a flow of the heart, emotion. And knowledge is a pursuit of science, intelligence. The two can be parallel, but not together. But this is something very unique of India. The medicinal science, astrology, astronomy, history, geography, anything that we have discussed, we have discussed in poetry. This itself is an excellence of India.If you look into the annals of our own presentations, we have excelled in mathematics, in physics, in chemistry... in space research also, we had excelled. We have not perhaps used telescope and microscope. Ultimately, what are the ones using these instruments? Human mind, no? So our senses, mind and intelligence are sufficient for us to probe into any knowledge.Observation and inference are the two canons for any kind of a scientific objective knowledge. And we were using the same canons. Therefore why should not the science be accepted? So we have got a number of glories. So India is not a geographical piece of land. It is a civilisation by itself. That civilisation, we are able to say that, ranges back to prehistoric times. See if you want any nation to grow, you better tell them you grow after yourself. If I tell you your grandfather's father was great, and he had this and that, you will feel inspired to grow. Rather than thrusting something alien on them that is not necessary at al.But this reference has not been made even in our Constitution. We have depended upon Irish and other constitutions to frame ours. Okay, agree that they have existed as a democracy for a great length of time, and we can take lessons from them. But should we not open our own books and find out? Thank God, that they have taken one or two things. One is Satyameva Jayate, the national motto. It is taken from Mundakopanishad. And I understand the motto of Supreme Court itself is Yatho Dharma Tatho Jaya. LIC’s motto is Yogaskshemam Vahamyaham, like that most of the prominent institutes of India, all of them have taken mottos from our ancient texts. What does it mean? Are we worth nothing?Another important question that I want to ask you is that what is the longest living memorial of a society? Are they architectural pieces made out of earth? Or are they cultural learnings? When you have something in the form of writing, that writing can be imbibed and practiced. When we say Ramayana, it is not a book that ornaments the shelves of our people, libraries and reading rooms. It is a treasure that is loved, remembered, uttered and practiced by people in every nook and corner of our country. You tell me how could a person like Valmiki write a text, which could occupy the heart of teeming millions of generatons and generatons? Is there any book in the world world like that? Why should it become the living culture, the warp and weft of the society, shaping their character and behaviour?Our epic writing itself is history presented in an epic style. It becomes epic style provided you use these as illustrations to drive home the values and ideals of the society. And every instance of the epic is supported by reason. For instance, if Bharata condemns his mother Kaikaeyi, that condemning has got sufficient material of reason. If Duryodhana says something, he supports it with his own reason. There is one instance where Sri Rama says when they boarded the chariot and was about to leave Ayodhya. King Dasharatha says "Stop Sumantra!" Sumantra the charioteer was amazed, he was actually Dasharatha's employee. Rama had not become the prince. So he was wondering what shall I do. Rama said, "Dont stop, speed on." So he was in a dilemma, when Rama says, "If my father asks you, you say I didn't hear you. Because the reason is any aggrieving situation should not be prolonged. If we remain here the developments will not be good. So let us go away. We are out to go." And another point is, as a charioteer, he is supposed to obey the master of the chariot, and not the father. In this way, they give reasons for everything. There is no simple statement in the epics. Every statement is supported by a reason. It is rational to the core.What is the highest faculty in the human personality? We have the senses, we have the mind and the intelligence. The highest faculty is intelligence. And the intelligence always probes, sifts fact from fiction and it gives you the truth. This is called reason or rationality.No less a person than Sage Vasistha tells Sree Rama when he was 16 years old: “Whatever is said reasonably, even by a child, has to be accepted. And if it is not reasonable, even the lotus-born Brahma, his words also should be rejected like a blade of grass.” So this is our canon. Where do you have such a civilisation or religiosity?And when Rama was going to the forest, Sage Jaabali interfered and said, “Rama, whose father are you talking about? We are all biological products, you don’t need to have any kind of a dharmic loyalty to your father.” He spoke a lot of reason and Rama was practically in tears. Then Vasistha and the others consoled him saying that he is only presenting a point of view, don’t be upset…You be governed by whatever you feel is right. So their points of view are also presented. We accommodate both. And then about reason, he says: “Everything is achieved by human permission. He says that in applying Paurusha, there is something called the scripturally approved line and the unscriptural line also. Now the later is always for danger and calamity. The properly developed reason will always be for promotion and welfare.Every language changes in the course of two or three centuries. But we have got a language in which the Vedas and all these are written. And not a syllable of it has changed or people want to change it even now. So the grammar for the language was developed to such an extent that the whole grammatical perfection was locked. Whatever they have written, the same ideas we are able to understand even today. So they have gone into the science of expression, the words come primarily from the throat, it ends up with the lips, and four or five different positions are there. They analyse it and say where sound starts from. It starts from the lower abdomen etc etc, and it finally comes out as Vaikhari, they say. The six sounds of music, they are all collected from different animals and birds. They were observing them: one from the horse, another from the nightingale and so on. Everything has got a science. Science, science, science, this is our tradition.We say natyashastra, gaanashastra, sambhashanashastra.... 64 kalas are mentioned... they are identified, and they have written books... so we call all of them shastras. Anything that is written " Ashastrik" has no life or acceptance. Vatsyayana Maharshi has written Kamasutra, which is about passion and how passion can be indulged in. We call him a Maharshi, why should a Maharshi write the shastras? He says I am explaining all these things only to explain to you the futility of passion as the total fulfillment of man. So in everything they have got a very great purpose.Our dharma covers every aspect of life. Some people say Sanyasins should not speak about politics or this that. What is politics? Earlier it was a monarchy, now it is a democratic rule. Unfortunately, we haven’t written any text on democracy. All our texts happened when monarchial rule was in vogue. But our monarchy was democratic. For example, when Dasharatha decided to anoint Sri Rama as a Yuvaraja, he did not do it all by himself. He called a huge assembly where tribal representatives were there. And he said, “I am old and I want to anoint somebody. What do you have to say.” They replied, “Anoint Sri Rama...” So Dasharatha says, "Why are you suddenly saying this, aren't you satisfied with my rule?" So they reply again, "No, no, we are happy with you, but since you are getting old, anoint Rama..." Dasharatha probes further: "Why Rama, and not the others?" .... "Because we know about the behavioural responses of this prince. He used to go for hunting and elderly people used to be present there sometimes, so he will get down from the horse, prostrate before them, enquire about their welfare... Like that we have got ample instances to know about his character, behaviour and interactions. So we find him a good man."What do you understand from this? Dasharatha calling a tribal assembly in which tribal representatives also were there and asking them to pronounce their choice on the Yuvaraja? Is it not the best form of democracy we can think of? And he used to be allowed to be criticeised by people, scholarly people were there in the assembly and everyone were given full opportunity to speak. Knowledge was greatly respected everywhere. King Janaka, Vikramaditya, all of them had great assemblies.Certainly not. We have to adapt. Human society never remains static. It is subject to change always. We are living in a democratic age. But the eternal values cannot change. Human mind or intellect or senses or human body hasn't changed. Therefore values also cannot change. Let's understand values first. Value is a course or pursuit by virtue of which whatever is ultimately aimed at by human being is achieved. That is the purpose. That can be divided into two factors. We call one " Abhyudaya", the other " Nishreyasa". The first one means monetary or prosperity related well-being. Nishreyasa means the ultimate fulfillment of the mind, heart and intelligence. We consider knowledge to be the ultimate fulfilling factor. People think it is God. That's wrong. Brahma Jnana is our aim. Jnana is a coordinate of the intelligence. We are free to do everything, but we have to take into account the senses, the mind and the intelligence.See, our values are clearly pronounced. One is a methodology of righteous living, which is called dharma. Whatever is right and proper to do, can we change it? Even the Constitution is made on the basis of propriety and reason. Now through dharmic ways, you amass your wealth. You cannot earn wrong wealth, which is what our Constitution also says. Through that wealth acquired by rightful means, fulfill your desires. After that, getaway from everything and seek your redemption. And seek inner fulfillment. This is called dharma, artha, kama, moksha. You tell me whether one can change this? It is not compulsory to have this earning life (the artha-kama stages). The idea is that there is a provision for all this.So if you want economic progress for the nation, our scriptures clearly speak about enforcing monetary matters. In Arthashastra, Kautilya even describes the various kinds of bribes. Our scriptures basically are an analysis of life. Its inspirations, instigations, its ideals, all have been analysed and they have presented it. If you can change those, well and good.See, there is something called contemporary value and eternal value. The eternal values are not negotiable because they are eternal. Contemporary values can always change and should be changed also. Now, if I say that any kind of memorial that you erect with earth materials will undergo age and will perish one day, can you argue with that? Whereas if you have literary treasure it can be imbibed from generation after generation and it can survive for any length of time. That is why we have been able to preserve that generation after generation. From Kanyakumari to Kashmir, somehow our people have been imbibing this unbrokenly. If one generation had not learnt the Vedas, the whole Vedic linkage would have been broken. Because they were only spoken and heard. But it is not broken. So what is the conclusion you arrive at? How did they preserve this Ramayana written in Treta Yuga? We don’t know who Valmiki was, we don't have his picture, we don’t have the palm leaf manuscript, but his Ramayana is still available. It all proves that material things cannot survive, but things of the mind and heart can survive as long as human beings are there.Bharat is a country where literary treasure has been held in far greater esteem than material treasure. Mahabharata was written 5000 years ago. King Harishchandra features in Mahabharata, and he was the inspiration for Mahatma Gandhi. When Gandhiji took up the leadership, he started conducting prayer meetings. Here he chanted the Sthitha prajna portion, Bhakti lakshanas and Gunateeta lakshanas from Bhagavat Geetha. People started coming in large numbers for the meetings only then. And the cultural movement became pan Indian with a lot of force and inspiration because he touched the cultural chord of people. So when we decided to be Independent, it was to nourish, cherish and develop the country after itself.We all use modern gadgets and spend quite a while in front of computer. I do only speaking and writing. And whenever I write I use a computer. Now these facilities are not resented, but using these you should not create life-impossible situations. For example, the pollution of air, water and earth. Sometimes I wonder if the present science a science at all. Today they will invent something and tomorrow they will say this is dangerous. They have invented plastic, now they say it will remain in the earth for millions of years before degrading, if it all. But I believe earth has got sufficient properties to digest and decompose and assimilate anything taken from it. They may say it is not, but I don’t believe it.I consider our civilisation to be a sustainable one. People have started using this word quite often recently and am happy for it. Sustainable civilisation is such a civilization the impacts of which the earth and its atmosphere will be able to assimilate and recycle. There should be no damage caused. The damage comes only from man. Except man, no animal or no creature in the whole world causes any non-cyclic process or development.Please understand this very clearly. I would like you to tom-tom it if you can. Whenever we speak of our culture we are speaking of it as we had it thousands of years ago. At that time there was no religion here. Only children of the soil were here. Religions may come and go…After all these years, we haven’t really evolved any any sixth sensory organ. We are breathing through the same nose, the same air... we are drinking the same water... We are seeing through the same eyes. So civilisation by virtue of either change of addition has not been able to either add to the biological body or reduce from it. This is a fact. Now we are people of our ancients, ancients of all the people here now: so-called Hindus and non-Hindus. If we draw a line backward and backward, we will reach a stage when no religion was here at all. The word religion is alien to us. Do you know our Hinduism is not a religion?Any kind of a religion is a system of morality and ethics based on the concept of God. Our dharma is not based on God. Our dharma is based upon the human mind, the human intelligence, the aspirations, the needs and the fulfillment of these. That is why I say our values are related solely to the emotional mind and the reasonable intelligence. Any value when properly interpreted will evoke any response from anybody. One is an emotional persuasion and a rational compulsion.Whenever we propose a national value, no reference should be made to God or religion. Our values can stand independent of religion. By invoking God what do we get? Ultimately the mind has to respond, the mind has to involve. When we say truthfulness, it refers to God or to man? When we refer to integrity, to whom does it refer to? It refers to the mind. When we say reason, rational, logic etc, what does it mean? A shastra becomes a shastra only when a subject is discussed rationally and presented to the acceptance of reason and logic. You can have an eating shastra, a walking shastra, a shastra of everything. It becomes a shastra only when it responds to the needs and compulsions of the mind and intelligence.So your question is answered now? It has got nothing to do with religion. While we allowed others to convert, we didn’t convert anybody.The Indian National Congress is the oldest political party. With the arrival of Independence, and the opening of the Pandora's Box, what happened? Resources came, money came, then came chances for possessing and owning... The same Congress people who fought for independence, what were they doing subsequently? That is why other parties have come up. Don't you think this corruption will take place everywhere? People in the lower level only follow. People in the higher level will have to lead. And the leaders will have to bring about changes.What will ordinary people do? What if the Travancrore Devaswom Board (the government appointed body that looks after the upkeep of all temples in Southern Kerala), with proper arrangement, says that women will have to be admitted (into Sabarimala)? And if they have the backing of public opinion and the government also, do you think people will wag their tail? Why are you leaving decisions for the common man? Now by leaving decisions to common man, we are suffering because any leader who can distribute money he can win votes also. Our polity will have to evolve to such a stage that we will not accept money during elections. I am optimistic we will reach such a stage. People will learn.If leaders will not lead, the common man will say we want to be led in this manner. A situation like that will come. This is a country where Indira Gandhi and Sanjay Gandhi were defeated in their own constituencies. The poor ignorant people, how did they perform this magic?I shall say openly on this. In saying Bharat Mata ki Jai, I dont know what is wrong. It is just like saying 'Let our economic policy be victorious' ... 'Let the unity of the country be victorious' ... Bharat Mata ki jai means what? It means let the country remain prosperous, unconquerable and unassailable. This should be the cry of every citizen of India. What is the meaning by mother? Because we were nurtured and born by the mother in her womb. Are we outside the mother or inside the mother for more time? We were in the womb only for 10 months, and we are for 100 years outside. Now who is supporting us after the umbilical cord is cut? So what is the role of this land? Is it not that of a mother?The word mother, what does it mean? How do you call it Hindu? The land where we are born, which supports us, nourishes us with food and water, with whose passport you move around, what do you call it? You have to call it something. Let's call it donkey, I don’t mind. And let’s say donkey ki jai. Do we want India to be prospering or not prospering? We want its victory or defeat? Why do you suddenly say it has got something to with our culture or our religion? Unless we agree on this fundamental thing, no body should live in India. You cannot live in India not calling India the motherland ...or fatherland. You call it Uncle-land. I have no objection.It is just like national flag. Can you disrespect national flag? Are we not saying Jai Bharat? Are we not saying Jai Hind? Jai Hind is not Jai Hindu. This is where we have miserably failed.The ancient text Kularanava Tantra says Himalayat Samarabhya Yavat Indu Sarovaram Tat Devanirmitham Desham Hindustanam Prachakshayate. It means that starting from the Himlayas to Indu Sarovara – there was a sarovara called Indu Sarovara beyond Kanya kumari that is now submerged... So our land’s uniqueness is that it is surrounded on three sides by the sea. In the word Hindu Hi is taken from the Himalayas and Indu from Indu Sarovara. And the people who are born here are Hindus – Muslims, Christians including. Our word Rama means Ramayathi Ithi Rama (he who delights). Karshathi Ithi Krishna (He who attracts), and he who permeates is called Vishnu, he who is occupying in a permeating manner is called Vibhu. About Akasha what do you say? It is a kind of Vibhu... But when it becomes a sentient Akasha, we called it God. God is described to be a Chidakasha. That means a sentient sky or sentient ether. These things should be probed into, and through channels like TV and Radio we must broadcast this.You tell me, can the country afford to be divided? We started dividing the country according to language. Even now the division continues. And who knows India will not be divided again? Constitution is what governs us, religion does not govern us. Religion doesn’t have any civil or criminal administrative powers. How can it?We have got fanaticism in all spheres of life, not just in religion. Do we want to exist as a powerful, cohesive nation? Then all fissiparous tendencies should be dealt with here. By force as well as education . Enlightenment is the greatest persuasion of man.If there is something wrong in the heritage, we will correct it. But what is wrong? So far as educational inputs are concerned, can we lend us to total ‘contemporarism’? There are values, which are eternal, which cannot be uprooted. These are values of coexistence, values of harmony, values which do not allow you to be anti-national. Our nationalism is not opposed to globalism. Its one important creed is ‘Be Universal’.Vasistha tells Sri Rama, "Ayamevaha Nityasmin Sankoche Vilayangate/Samasta Bhuvanavyapi Visthaaropajayate (The constrictions and possessiveness arising from the ego, when that is dissolved instantly a universal expansion will take place). Ayam bandhur ayam neti ganana laghuchetasam udaracharitanam tu vasudhaiva kutumbakam (this is my friend or relative and this is not, this kind of divisional point of view is for the small-minded. For people who are noble in thinking, the entire universe is their family). You tell me is there any Hinduism here? He is talking about two states of mind: one of constriction and the other of expansion. Are they not very material and conceptual presentations? All our values are like that.See, there must be moderation for everybody. It is the greatest virtue according to our shastras. For example, Samatvam Yogauchyate Yogam Karmasu Kaushala.... Yoga is actually karmasu kaushala, it is dexterity in performance. And that yoga is samatva, one of moderation or equipoise. The gender equality they are talking about is only a fractional reflection of the liberty Constitution speaks about. Our shastras argue for a more comprehensive samatva than what our Constitution envisages. Whichever government comes to power, unless they practice moderation, they won’t be able to survive for long or win the favour of Opposition.In a democratic country with the sovereign Constitution we have, is it possible to allow discrimination amongst women themselves? One large section of the women in this country is governed by monogamy. But another section is not. Is it under your Constitution? In judging any matter whatsoever does the Constitution come first or something else? This you answer me... How can you have anything unconstitutional? Why is one section of women debarred from monogamy rights? How do you justify it? So where is the supremacy of the Constitution?Another question I want to ask you is in a secular framework, where is the scope and place for religious minority? A secular Constitution means we would not entertain any religious consideration for deciding any matter under the Constitution. This is a point I want to agitate in the Supreme Court. I think a petition should be moved before the SC that we people cannot tolerate any discrimination on one section of the women. If you can accept the criminal procedure code, why not the civil procedure code also? I don't know why after 60 years of Independence, these points are still not discussed.Recently, the Communist Party of India (CPI) state secretary Kanam Rajendran and their MLA came to see me here at the ashram. I spoke to them for an hour, I gave them my notes too. I told him I am speaking as your friend but at the same time also as a representative of Hindus. At the end of discussion, he said all that you say is right. I asked him will you make it known to the others? He said yes, we will discuss with the others. Pinarayi Vijayan (CPM leader and the present chief minister of Kerala) invited me, but there was a function in the temple, so I could not go.I want to talk to them that if you want to survive you have to bring about some changes. First off all, you have accepted democracy and elections for coming to power, which is against the principle of communism. In the same manner you should shed violence. Without knowing Hindu practices and methods (they shouldn’t make comments)... And in what way is it contrary to thier objectives? Our ideal is brahmacharya-garhasthya-vanaprastha-sanyasa. We are all moving towards the principle of renunciation. So how can a dharma or a way of life, which moulds people to become a renunciate, be antagonistic to you? We are interested only in socio-cultural matters, you are interested in only socio-economic matters. Where is the conflict here? Our culture is such that it proposes to make a man a Sanyasin. Then why are you importing ideologies from outside not knowing our own ideology?This when I discuss with top-level communist leaders, they say Swamiji, it is a mistake. But how can we tell that to our rank and file? This is what they say.It took us a lot of time and effort to stop this practice of singing obscene songs in Kodungalloor temple. But inside the temple apparently it is still going on. Because everyone is in favour of it and people come only to indulge in it. I am asking you, animal slaughter in temples have been banned in Kerala. But for this Kodungalloor Bharani festival, there is this "kozhikallu moodal" which takes place at a place where cocks used to be slaughtered. Now, when something is abolished by the law, are you supposed to commemorate it? For instance, Sati has been abolished, so any effort to commemorate Sati is also illegal. Why is the government not taking any action?People are free to do it in their homes. But they are not free to do it in a public place of worship where others outnumber these people. What I want to say is how fundamentally wrong things are perpetuated here. But they call it tradition... what tradition?We have put in an intervention petition. I know of a woman who, 25 years ago when she was still of the menstruating age, went to Sabarimala and came back. For women of menstruating age to go to Sabarimala shrine, they were not allowed to go in through the famous 18-steps. There were side steps for them to enter, and there were no objections then.I don't know. It is the same Lord Ayyappa that you see in the numerous other Ayyappa temples elsewhere... So how come the Sabarimala Ayyappa acquired some extra purity that is not there in these other Ayyappa temples? Let the temple be open around the year, let the women devotees be given special weeks for pilgrimage. Let them come with lady police. Ayyappa will be pleased, all others will also be pleased...Who are we to graft our feelings on Ayyappa? I really don’t understand this. I have been a naishtika brahmachari (celibate) right from the beginning, for more than 60 years now. So many women come and touch my feet, prostrate before me... Are you saying a godly Ayyappa will not be able to do it? This is how we start attacking with reason. So our acharas will have to stand it. If men go to Sabarimala it is primarily because of the help and patronage of women.There should be reformist thinkers consulting shastras to say whether this achara is necessary or not. The Kings brought in the temple entry proclamation. What was the proclamation? Now 10% of people are allowed into the temple, the super majority of 90% want to enter the temple and worship. They were allowed. Likewise the government has to just say yes. All they want is to worship. If a squirrel wants to worship, can you stop it?Yes, that's true. The priests there give the logic that a temple is for worship by Hindus. When non-Hindus come into a temple, they might be coming in to do some desecration job, that's their argument.Well, a priest gave me a funny logic. They said, it is troublesome for us according to Tantra Shastra if non-Hindus come in. But if they come in anonymously anyway, it is ok because we can’t do anything about it (laughs). And then he said, if there is an official order (for entry to all), we will obey (laughs)... But having said that, I will persuade the temple management here to remove the board and make the temple open to all.I have voted only once when I was living in Kolkata. After taking Sanyasa, I haven't. We are equidistant from all the political parties.I think all will be right if the leader or the party in power rules according to a certain administrative fidelity. Even in the state assembly you enact scenes, which are of a criminal nature. People are elected into the assembly or parliament to speak or vote. They have no rights for anything else, like obstructing someone else, or disturb the speaker or do anything else of a criminal nature. If they do such things in Parliament, what kind of open exhortation does it give to others outside? I would say the upsurge in criminality is due to this...They should not waste a single minute of the assembly. It is very costly. We did put up a demonstration against obstructing parliamentary proceedings. I wrote to the President of India requesting that we should be allowed to address the Parliamentarians. Because they are creating a crisis that they are not able to solve themselves. We moved the SC that asked us to write to the Speaker. We have written to the Speaker and since we haven’t got a reply we will again go to the SC. We meaning, an organization called the Foundation for Restoration of National Values.Any government should try impartially, without fear or fear, to bring up the socio-economic standards of the country or state. That should be their objective. A political party when they come to power, they are going to administer the governance of the whole country, the entire people. They are the government of the rats, cats and squirrels too. They cannot take a party stand alone in all matters. They have to take a pro-people stand. Why is it that in a democratic country propriety be enforced always through courts?I am ashamed even of the Hindu society... because when a change is called for any reason in our acharas or practices, there are dharmic thinkers who can go into the shastras and find out what should be done. But without using those channels why are they running to the Supreme Court and then complain courts should not interfere in our religious matters? Who else but the court would lay down the law?Abolition of child marriage, permission of widow remarriage, succession rights for women etc... could these be done except through the law? Is there any machinery for us to bring about changes except through enactments? And when the court is trying to adjudicate, they say courts should not interfere in religious matters. Then you decide on religious matters...But that they can't. It is a shameful situation.Such accidents were not occurring earlier. I don't know why do these mishaps have started happening these days. I think it happens primarily because of the crowd. If 10 people go to see a festival, it is one thing. If 10,000 or 1 lakh go it is quite another thing. Maybe it is due to this. It is for us to decide if the time has come to curb it. If it has to be avoided, it should be avoided.I am thinking of filing a petition against persecution of elephants. Why is the elephant part of temple festival? It is a wild animal... why was it brought here in the first place? And it was not brought here like a dog tamed properly. It is kept under control by invoking constant fear. I hear they burn the legs of the poor animal. This is sheer cruelty. How can such cruelty be part of a temple festival?Aren’t the excreta and the urine of the elephant not polluting? How can this be allowed? Because they want the elephants to be there, so these are also allowed... Most importantly, they are persecuting the elephant... before one mahout goes and another comes in to take charge of the elephant he ties up the elephant. And before the new one unties it, he takes a spear and hits the elephant. He hits and hits the poor animal just above the nail, until the elephant starts obeying him. This is the only way to subdue an elephant. But this is sheer torture.Some journalists called me a controversial swamy. I told them I am not a controversial swamy, I am a clarifying swamy (laughs). My effort is to make people think.