Swami on Fast
There is a two-line news item on today’s (Aug 21, 2012) edition of Times of India. Titled “Sage on indefinite fast for probe into Nigmananda’s death”, it reports from Dehradun that 67 year old Shivanand Sarswati, the founder of Matrisadan Ashram in Haridwar has entered 15 th day of his fast-unto-death seeking a fresh CBI probe into the death of Swami Nigamananda who was campaigning against illegal mining around the river Ganga. Upon reading this, many things instantly come to my mind. I think only Hindus (an umbrella term for many sects) can be so willing to sacrifice their lives to protect rivers and trees, essential our mother nature making our country. It is because from the smallest rituals to the biggest philosophical concepts, protecting nature is so much part of Hinduism. Secondly, our media has done a great injustice by neglecting such news and events of gravest importance while giving highlights to populist superficial news. Even love affairs of cinema and TV stars or ...