For the last couple of months, from the Diwali day, hundreds of pages covered the news about the Kanchi Seer's arrest. Apart from simple reporting of facts, almost all players in the media - be it in print, on air or on the web went two steps ahead and probed into all controversies associated with the Kanchi Mutt.

Death of boys and girls, missing of gold, investments into properties, proximity to people in power, sexual harassment and many more.

Some political parties tried using the opportunity to make their presence felt in the public eye. Organisations such as VHP and RSS tried making this incident as their main campaign agenda for November and December.

All subdued with time. The Tamil Nadu Government stood by what it started on the Diwali day and the Seer stayed in the prison with no special privileges.

Suddenly, the Supreme Court started questioning the credibility of the evidence that was helping the Tamil Nadu police in preventing the Seer from getting bail and the Seer was granted bail. The issue restarted and media got another tide on the issue because now the junior Seer is in jail and there are threats to the centuries-old traditions.

I have been following the whole coverage keenly. I saw multiple theories. People attributed this as an incident related to the Dravidian politics between Jaya and Karunanidhi.

Some argued that this became a retaliation against Brahmins who are a minority in Tamil Nadu, some even felt this to be a seen created by Jaya for gaining the votes in the next election because majority of the electorate is anti-Brahmin in Tamil Nadu and assaulting Brahmins can give the edge to Jaya.

Some argued that the Seer should have been involved in the case, otherwise, why not his staunch followers were not giving him the required support.

From all these arguments what I realised is, no one is willing to wait for the truth. People started jumping to conclusions and passing judgments that the Seer should have been involved and no noise within Kanchi etc etc.

I have a few questions for the people who are becoming judgmental about the Seer:

If all these are happening under the nose of public what made Jayalalitha, who now seemed to be out of the heaven to uplift the law by taking harsh actions against the Seers to prove that everyone is equal in front of law, follow the Seers closely?

If Tamil Nadu police have compelling evidence about all wrong doings of the Seer on all the wrong doings relating to yesteryears, why were they silent all these years?

If the Kanchi mutt looks at wiping off a petty administrator of one of the temples under the mutt, should they shell down such huge money? That too, to wipe out an innocent and honest person?

Is the Kanchi mutt like a mafia whereby they try to communicate to all the opponents the fate they may meet if they go against the mutt's activities?

It is a well-known fact in criminology that any criminals have to break down within a month's time irrespective of the criminal intentions he/she has. Why not a simple Seer broke down despite being jailed for two months?

Is the Swamy a very evolved criminal so that he can withstand all pressure for two months or does he believe that killing the administrator is completely correct and so he is not feeling remorse?

On the other side, what makes the Tamil Nadu Government to be so harsh towards the Seers? The theory of an attempt to take over the mutt's activities does not show any strength because it can be handled much more easily than arresting the Seers.

The Government is not doing any favour by showing such an aggression against Seers. Political gains are also not apparently visible.

What the whole discussion above points towards is, both the charge and the legal action are questionable, also are the actions of the mutt for it is showing the susceptibility towards all these legal actions.

It is a very good case for the Central Government to pitch-in and handle. The case is not a simple law and order case relating to a State but have much more larger connotations involving the sentiments of millions of Indians.

Sarangadhara Sinha

Related Links:
Kanchi case: Leave it to Law & let Conscience work
Kanchi Sathya - Mutt's campaign site
NRIs request CJI to transfer Seer case out of TN


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