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No regrets on iftar koota, but firm on Ayodhya temple: Seer

UDUPI: Paryaya Sri Vishweshateertha Swami of Pejawar mutt has always been in the news -whether for his stand during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement or the recent iftar koota he organized at Sri Krishna mutt premises, Udupi.The sprightly 86-year-old seer puts young people to shame with his busy schedule. In an interview to TOI, he decried the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh, and said violence is never a solution.

Excerpts:

What validity will the decision of the Dharma Sansad, which is to be held in Udupi in November, have when the Supreme Court is expected to give its verdict on the Ayodha issue?

I cannot say anything on this since I do not know what will be decided. It’s premature now. as the VHP working committee will decide. They will discuss the issues and pass a resolution. Generally , the discussions will centre on anticow slaughter and the Ram Temple. The sansad’s decision should not clash with the court’s verdict. Keeping this in mind, the VHP working com mittee will prepare a draft for a discussion.

Your stand on the Ram mandir in Ayodhya.

The Ram mandir should happen. The courts have proved the temple existed in Ayodhya. Even the masjid should be built --but further from the temple because it might lead to tensions. In hindsight, do you regret holding the iftar koota at Sri Krishna mutt? I don’t. My stand has always been swadharma nishte, paradharma sahishnuthe (allegiance to one’s own religion and tolerance towards other religions). I won’t change my stand. After the iftar koota, progressive thinkers said I should abandon the Ram Janmabhoomi issue. The hosting of iftar is not at all connected with the Ram temple issue. I don’t think there was anything wrong in what I did.

Will you hold the iftar even after your paryaya?

Considering the controversy , there will be a souharda koota (harmony meet) after my paryaya. There were objections to Muslims performing namaaz in the mutt premises. It caused problems to those who attended as they are not supposed to offer namaaz where there’s an idol. That’s why we will have a souharda koota outside the mutt premises.

CM Siddaramaiah has not visited the mutt for 12 years since the controversy over the kanaka gopura in 2005. Do you want to send him a message?

I don’t see why Siddaramaiah should be peeved with the mutt.The kanaka gopura is not an issue at all and the Kuruba community does not see any controversy in it. Siddaramaiah should be happy that a majestic gopura has come up and has been named kanaka gopura.

Do you think freedom of speech is being curtailed in the country with outspoken people getting death threats or being killed?

I’m very pained by the murders of journalist Gauri Lankesh and rationalist M M Kalburgi.It is grave injustice. Whatever the differences in opinion or ideology , murder or violence is not the answer. Whoever did it -whether Naxals or Hindu fundamentalists, we don’t know and it has to be established by the probe -is wrong. Violence is not the answer to counter ideological differences.There are other means of protest. But Gauri had been making lot of false allegations about the mutt and we had given many clarifications in writing to the publication. They were not published. What the publication practised is one-sided partisan journalism. This is not unbiased journalism, but murder is not the answer.