The Hindu Business Line : Wanted: Cool heads

THOSE who are trying to blow up the arrest of the head of the Kanchi Sankara Mutt by the Tamil Nadu Police on a murder charge as an attack on Hinduism and indulging in the use of vilificatory language and even acts of violence are themselves doing a great disservice to the religion.

It is in situations like these that true votaries of the religion are expected to keep their sense of proportion and set an example in adhering to the lofty ideals of patience, understanding and balance that have been handed down by sages and seers of the past.

Let us analyse the happenings with cool heads: The arrest could not have been made without the specific authorisation of the Chief Minister of the State, in view of the standing of the Mutt worldwide, the high profile enjoyed by Sri Jayendra Saraswati and the ramifications of such a course of action.

Even the most malicious enemy of Ms Jayalalithaa will not accuse her of anti-Hinduism, or wantonly bringing it into disrepute; if anything, she used to be widely viewed by the Sangh Parivar as the guardian of the interests of that religion.

She had been punctilious in respecting the Hindu sentiments and the sanctity of its institutions.

It is utterly inconceivable that she would agree to the deliberate foisting of a false criminal case on the Shankaracharya. The only conclusion to which a reasonable person can come is that the material placed before her by the police must have been so convincing as to leave no other option than that of arrest.

There is thus absolutely no reason to suspect any ulterior motives on her part, or on the part of the police. I should not be surprised if many of the members of the police were themselves practising Hindus and shocked by what unfolded before them.

As regards the treatment, let us remember that in the libertarian democracy of the US, whose Constitution has been an inspiration for India, persons accused of no more than corporate misdemeanours are invariably led to court handcuffed behind their back. India, as can be expected of a soft state, is unjustifiably lenient with those accused of even serious crimes.

Real respect to rule of law is incompatible with the demand for special and indulgent treatment of one who is charged with gruesome murder based on prima facie material to substantiate it.

B. S. Raghavan

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