125th BALIDAN DIVAS AT AJMER

AUM

AT AJMER 125 YEARS AFTER TRAGIC DEMISE
By Brigadier Chitranjan Sawant,VSM

Swami Dayanand Saraswati died so that you and I live. Dayanand Saraswati sacrificed his life 125 years ago at Ajmer so that the Dharma prevails. It was at the altar of Truth that he offered an aahuti of his pran. He did so for our children and children’s children. Indeed his sacrifice did not go in vain. The Swami had given a clarion call : BACK TO THE VEDAS and it did not go unheeded. Many a young man and young woman had benefitted by treading the path of Truth as shown by the Vedas. The Swami launched a Reformation Movement, not only for the Hindu society but also for the entire Mankind. Those who listened ,they followed the pied piper. Swami Dayanand’s word, deed and his writings made the ignorant men and women an Enlightened lot. The Swami went ahead on the path of Reformation, notwithstanding threats to his life and limbs and reformed the lives of compatriots- kings, captains and commoners both in India and abroad. Alas! Dayanand paid for his boldness with his life but remained a Reformer to his fingertips till his last breath.The Mankind is proud of him.

AN ASSEMBLY OF THE DEVOUT

The Paropkarini Sabha that had been founded by Maharishi Dayanand himself at Maharana’s Udaipur, capital of Mewar, had hosted the massive Meet of men, women and children at Ajmer from 5th Nov to 8th November 2008 to commemorate 125th death anniversary of Dayanand Saraswati, founder of the Arya Samaj. The mammoth meet attracted participants from far and wide. They were the devout Aryas who wished to pay a tribute to Dayanand Saraswati for all that he did to let mankind live a healthy and happy life. Mahajano Yen Gato Sa Panthah – wherever the Great go that becomes the pathway for commoners – was the belief of our Rishivar. In pursuit of this he entered Rajputana, a land of Rajput kings, to reform them of debauchery that they indulged in, so that their subjects could also forsake the worldly sins. Maharana Sajjan Singh Ji, the ruler of Mewar, Sir Nahar Singh Varma, the ruler of Shahpura and some others became his devout disciples and carried the OM flag forward. But the recalcitrant Maharaja Jaswant Singh,ruler of Jodhpur was made of a different stuff. You name the vice and he had it. Reforming him proved to be an exercise in futility. It is understood that his concubine,Nanni Jan (read Bhagtan) and some courtiers professing a different faith conspired to eliminate the great Reformer from this world. The Truth if Tradition backs the theory that the conspirators had the great Swami poisoned on the night of 29 September 1883. None was prosecuted and none was punished. The then powers that be were not in favour of even making an effort to reach the bottom of the case. Under doctors’ orders the Swami was made to travel from pillar to post in a semi-conscious state. Having suffered the agony for one month and one day, Swami Dayanand Saraswati breathed his last in the Bhinai kothi at Ajmer on the Diwali evening, 30 October 1883. Indeed a tragic demise it was. It left the good souls shocked and they vowed to spread the word of Truth of Swami Dayanand Saraswati far and wide. The then devout souls were true to their word. Now their children's children, also devout souls, had assembled at Ajmer to pay tribute to the Swami -–125 years thereafter. It speaks volumes of the efficacy of teachings and rapport with commoners of the Swami. They came with great expectations and did not return disappointed.

It would be a good idea to quote the four lines of the Hindi poem written on the outer wall of the hall where Swami Dayanand Saraswati expired. The lines run thus :
Surya sone chal diya lekin sitaron ko jaga kar,
Ek deepak bujh gaya lakhon chiragon ko jala kar.
Kah rahe hain balidan-premi aaj diwali mana kar,
Aaj koi mar gaya lekin humen marna sikha kar.

A free rendering into English may run thus :
The Sun has set but only after awakening the stars,
A lamp is extinguished but only after lighting millions.
Celebrating Diwali the souls ever ready to sacrifice themselves;
Say with honour and pride,
Today Some soul has left the body but only after Instilling Courage
Courage to sacrifice Self for a Common Cause.

COMMEMORATION FOR A CAUSE

Many a doubting Thomas was around on the periphery of the assembly of the devout. Why commemorate an event that happened more than a century and a quarter ago? What do you gain? Moreover, some historians talk about the episode pf poisoning the Swami at Jodhpur – how will you probe it now? Fortunately the number of such cranky fellows was less than a drop in the ocean. Well, in one sentence I would say “The Nation that fights shy of commemorating the great souls who lived and died for the People is bound to Perish sooner than later”. Just period. Swami Dayanand Saraswati is a source of Inspiration even a century and a quarter years after his tragic demise. Even in the 21st century we learn a lot from words that he wrote in the 19th century. Times have changed but not the Truth. I just cannot resist the temptation of quoting Prof JTF Jordens of Australia from his book , Dayanand Saraswati ; his life and ideas WHEN DISCUSSING THE ISSUE OF HIS BEING POISONED, THE AUTHOR SAID THAT THE TRUTH OF TRADITION could not be overlooked. As a law graduate who took interest in the study of Toxicology, I would venture to say that the physical symptoms of the Swami were in themselves irrefutable pieces of evidence that there was presence of poison in the Swami’s body. Let us leave it at that at this point of time – that issue may be taken up later at a meet of legal luminaries who have specialised in toxicology. Be that as it may, the issue deserves attention of Aryas and others who wish to fathom facts to unravel mysteries for the sake if TRUTH.

PLANNING PREPARATION EXECUTION

Rome was not built in a day – you and I know that. Swami Dayanand’s 125th Balidan Divas Sammelan was not held at a day’s notice either. Dr Dharm Vir, Mantri of the Paropkarini Sabha took pains to explain that the laurels of success of the Sammelan should go to his team of devoted workers who toiled for weeks, nay months to plan , prepare and execute the plan of the Sammelan. He himself worked as a member of the team. Attention was paid to minor details too. Undoubtedly, the claim was reflected in the success of all sessions of the Sammelan held both by day and night. Of course, it is the able leadership that motivates the team and achieves the aim. I think in this regard, Dr Dharm Vir has won the laurels. He deserves the bouquets and fortunately there were no brickbats. I shall not forget the Brahmcharis who were drawn from various Gurukulas and worked tirelessly for months. Above all, they remained in the wings in a self-effacing manner; never displaying a desire to come centre stage. Indeed they were emulating their Acharya Satyajit Ji, a great cementing factor who showed courage and leadership. In the same category comes Swami Vishwang Ji who manned the desk, fought telephone battles as Army officers do in the Staff College. There were many more of their kind that did not come to my notice during my short stay of 48 hours or so. All said and done, it must be emphasized that the success belongs to the entire team and not to an individual or two.

Raising of funds by successfully asking for donation was no less than a miracle. Among the great donors to the cause of Vedic Dharm, as propounded by Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati,was Mahashay Dharam Pal of the MDH spices who won hands down. He donated many lakhs of rupees for the great cause. Chaudhary Mitra Sen of Haryana was a close second. His wife was not to be left behind and she donated out of her household savings that ran into six or seven figures. Indeed it was difficult to keep track of charity donations of Mahashay Dharam Pal. The Paropkarini Sabha received more than she had expected,I guess. It was a good show of showering money on an Arya Samaj institution founded by Maharishi Dayanand himself. Among the donors were a Turkish woman .a Christian priest and a Christian housewife from Germany who admired Dayanand Saraswati as a votary of Truth and Dharma. Never mind the drop in the ocean that their charity donation was but it definitely caused ripples as donors belonged to a different faith.

THE ULTIMATE SESSION

The morning session on 8th Nov 08 was the Ultimate Session. The venue of the function was overcrowded with men,women and children. Notwithsranding a tight security of many rings, both the stage, dais, ground and chairs were full of people. Women in colourful Rajasthani lehangas ,sarees were indeed centres of attraction. The Arya Sanyasis in ochre robes attracted attention. To tell you the truth,it is rare that so many Arya Sanyasis are seen on one stage at a time. Who was the doyen among the saints and sages? Who else but Swami Ram Deo Maharaj, the new age Yoga Rishi. There is no denying the fact that he is one of the greatest crowd pullers these days. Perhaps NUMERO UNO in the Arya Jagat. As he came on the dais all eyes from every nook and corner were glued to him. Here I must mention Shri Gajanan Ji, President of the Paropkarini Sabha, who chose to mill with the crowd rather than mount the rostrum. A self-effacing personality indeed. Notwithstanding the fact that the rostrum was a huge one, it could not take the weight of all who wished to be there. For whole time politicians and pseudo-Arya Samajists, there was a political centre of attraction too. Shri Bhupendra Singh Hooda was there to address and pay tributes to the Swami in the Shradhanjali Sabha. No doubt Dr Ram Prakash, an MP, was there to address the gathering in his own right as an ardent Arya Samajist, a writer and an effective speaker. His books on Pandit Guru Dutt Vidyarthi are appreciated by one and all.

Swami Ram Dev Maharaj indeed stole the show from the dais. He spoke for a fairly long time and said that he gives full credit to the Arya Samaj for his success. Swami Dayanand’s teachings have uplifted him and made him what he is today. In an autobiographical note, he took the audience into confidence and said that he was born in a dark and dingy hutment of illiterate parents, had developed deformities. But the Gurukul made a man of him. Swami Ram Deo Ji sang bhajans,including one of Satpal Pathik in praise of Maharishi Dayanand, with great fervour. He sounded like an Arya Pracharak in every sense of the word. The large audience was with him through and through. So much so that when he called it a day and moved to his seat, a large crowd too rose to go to the dining hall rather than listen to the Chief Minister of Haryana. Swami Ram Deo came to the podium again to appeal to the crowd to sit calmly and listen to the Chief minister.His appeal bore fruit. Indeed, a man of religion was one up on a man of politics.

An additional feather was added to the cap of organisers when they fielded many Sanyasis on the stage to pay tributes to Swami Dayanand Saraswati. The women folk were not left behind. They were represented by Acharya Surya Ji of Gurukul Panini and Acharya Priyamvada ji of Gurukul Najibabad. The youth was also well represented in various sessions. The cadres were drawn from every nook and corner of the country. Talking to a cross section of the assembled crowd, I found that they were well satisfied with arrangements of board and lodging, notwithstanding some delays due to long queues. Well, in a way it signifies how well attended the Sammelan was.

If I summarise it in a nutshell, I shall say that the 125th Balidan Divas celebrated by the people and organised by Shrimati Paropkarini Sabha at Ajmer was a Roaring Success.

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