Pandurang Shastri Athavale and Templeton Award
amol dighe
I heard about some protests against Pandurang Shastri Athavale
getting the Templeton Award.
Does anybody have any details on this ? I would especially like to
read his writings which have been referred to here, not just commentaries
on or quotes from them. Any suggested sources ?
amol
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The following is entirely a quote
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Article: 2791 of alt.india.progressive
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From: Jagdish Parikh <jag...@igc.apc.org>
Newsgroups: alt.india.progressive
Subject: Protest of Award to Pandurang Shastri Athavale
Date: 3 May 1997 21:09:31 GMT
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------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
Date: Thu, 1 May 1997 21:41:52 -0400
Reply-to: DATPERS - DAlit & Tribal PEoples Resource Site <DAT...@YORKU.CA>
From: Sam Lanfranco <lan...@YORKU.CA>
Subject: Protest of Award to Pandurang Shastri Athavale
To: DAT...@YORKU.CA
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Objections to Templeton Prize Award to Pandurang Shastri Athavale
-----------------------------------------------------------------
With the award scheduled for May 6th, numbers of Dalit Groups and others
around the globe are protesting the award being given Pandurang Shastri
Athavale. During Nelson Mandela's visit to India, and in response to
requests from dalit, untouchable, and other groups, Mandela had a visit
to the Athavale Centre deleted from the list of visit activities.
The following documents consist of:
1. A 'clip' is taken from the Web Page of the Templeton Foundation.
2. Letter from Council for Social Justice (Ahmedabad), to Ambedkar Centre
for Justice and Peace (Toronto) - protesting the award.
3. Letter from Ambedkar Centre for Justice & Peace to Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II asking that the ceremony be postposed while H.R.H. looks
into the issue
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1. Clip from http://www.templeton.org/ TEMPLETON FOUNDATION PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Donald Lehr (212) 967-8200
March 5, 1997 11:00 Hours (New York) Eastern Standard Time
PANDURANG SHASTRI ATHAVALE WINS 1997 TEMPLETON PRIZE FOR
PROGRESS IN RELIGION
NEW YORK, March 5, 1997 -- Pandurang Shastri Athavale, founder and leader
of a spiritual self-knowledge movement in India that has liberated
millions from the shackles of poverty and moral dissipation, has won the
1997 Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion. The announcement of the
award was made at a news conference today at the Church Center for the
United Nations.
In honor of the 25th anniversary of the prize, H.R.H. Prince Philip will
present the award to Athavale at a public ceremony, scheduled to be held
in Westminster Abbey on May 6th. Begun in 1972 by renowned global investor
Sir John Templeton, the prize is given each year to a living person who
has shown extraordinary originality in advancing humankind's understanding
of God and/or spirituality. The Templeton Prize -- valued at 750,000
pounds sterling, about $1.21 million -- is the world's largest annual
monetary award.
With less than 20 co-workers in 1954, Athavale (pronounced
Ah-TAH-vah-lee), 76, began bhaktiferi (devotional visits) to the villages
around Bombay to spread a message of love for God and love for all people,
considered by the workers to be God's children. Believing in self-
knowledge as the preliminary condition for an inner growth that leads to a
loving, enlightened, social concern and outreach, Athavale initiated the
practice of swadhyaya -- a Sanskrit word that roughly translates to
self-study.
Swadhyaya (pronounced swah-DEE-ah) has spread to nearly 100,000 villages
across India and is estimated to have directly improved the lives of 20
million people. Based on the Bhagavad Gita (Song of God), the holiest text
in the Hindu religion, Athavale's philosophy asks people to recognize the
inner presence of God which, he says, leads to a sense of self-esteem as
well as an awareness of the divine presence within all persons. Again and
again throughout India and other parts of the world, this belief that all
persons are divine brothers and sisters in the family of God has led to
the betterment of individuals and communities. [more material on web site:
http://www.templeton.org/ ]
---------- Response from India -----------------------------
Letter Sent by Council for Social Justice [spelling errors as sent]:
Council for Social Justice
236/2. Dr. Ambedkar Street, Near Futti Masjid,
Dariapur, AHMEDABAD, 380 001 INDIA
1st May 1997
To: Mr. Yogesh Varhade
Ambedkar centre for justice & peace,
P.B. No. 846, Station - P, Toronto, Ontario
Canada
Dear Brother Yogesh Varhde,
As per our telephonic talk, I send you excerpts from Pangurang Athvle's
Sanskrit Chintan. The book in its tenth edition having ten thousand
copies, publised by Vallabhdas J. Zaver, Satvichar Darshan, Vimal Jyoti,
6/8, Dr. Wilson Street, V.P.Road, Mumbai - 400004 in june 1994.
The casteist, racist, facist, anti-women and anti-dalit ideas of
Pandurang, which have been exposed in the excepts [from Pandurang
Athavale's Sanskriti Chintan and attached as four pages to the letter]
will shock all humanitarian, liberal freedom-loving people across the
continent and will create justful anger against the Brhaminic Hitler of
India. For us the Templeton Award being given to Athavle is like giving an
award of non-vioilence to the Butcher. Let civilized society know that
they are giving volumius amount and award of international prestige to
such kind of a person like Athavle who is a Hitler in disguise.
We support your good cause of protesting the presentation of the Templeton
Award to Athavle. Like minded people in India and Gujarat will also
demonstrate and mobilize against Brahminic - racist ideology.
We are publishing a book titled 'Vulture's Thoughts on Culture'
Please keep us informed about the developments in this regard,
yours sincerely (Valjibhai Patel, Secretary)
-----------------------------------
Poster's Note: The four pages of quotes from Athavale are a defense of
caste, slavery, child brides, attacking the notion of 'rights', opposing
women's liberation, limiting women's schooling such that "they should be
taught [only] linguistic." and noting the uselessness of teaching them
geometry and algebra. He referes to the (quote) "Caste system is a
beautiful thing...Shudras created from legs and Brhamins from mouth...
What a beautiful metaphor." He declares "Equal opportunity a fraud.
"Chatur varna Vyashta (four graded caste system) comprises all ways for
the making of socialist nation." ... etc. etc.
-----------------------------------
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AMBEDKAR CENTRE FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE - Message to Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth asking for a postponement of the award ceremony
---------------------------------------------------------------------
By Fax: Toronto, 30th April 1997 [Through H.E. Romeo LeBlanc, Governor
General of Canada
Attention: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
London, Great Britain
RE: H.R.H. Prince Phillip presenting The John Templeton Foundation Award
1997 to Pandurang Shastri Athavale in Westminister Abbey on May 6th, 1997
- POSTPONEMENT REQUEST
Your Majesty:
We appreciate highly the philanthropic work done by the Royal
Family and its contribution to Humanity.
We praise also the good work done by The John Templeton Foundation
to promote the religion and science for humanity as it happened in the
past through this award.
Unfortunately, the selection committee failed to get all aspects
of [the] contribution of Mr. Athavale including his firm blief and
propagation of [the] Caste System, the practice of Untouchability and
maintaining [the] "status quo' for the most marginalized people in the
world - The Untouchables - 250 million in South Asia. His associates also
maintain the practice of not even drinking a cup of water or eating and
socializing [with untouchables] except [to have them 'singing in temples
as children of God". His book "Cultural Thinking (Sanskrit Chintan) 1987,
reprint '95" states clearly that "Caste System is good and must be
maintained" (article enclosed {in Fax to London]). The Untouchables are
still segregated, in all villages in India, including area of Athavale's
work. This fact is hidden because [the] 100% controlled High Caste Hindu
press in India is glorifying Athavale for keeping Caste System in-tact and
thus maintaining SLAVERY.
When Mr. Nelson Mandela visited India in 1994. he had to cancel
his visit to [the] Athavalae Centre due to its discrimination. We have [a]
lot of evidence which shows that Athavale's CLAIM of creating Castelss
SOCIETY is untrue and baseless for he believes in Hindu Religion which
states ALL HUMAN BEINGS ARE NOT BORN EQUAL?
Royal Family will definitely consider these facts for their above
participation and H.R.H. Prince Phillip will be kind enough to ask for
postponement of award ceremony till the evidence is verified.
Dalits (Untouchables) in Great Britain and around the world are
very UPSET and they are sure that the western civil society will not be
the party to promote racism.
With all the due respect to H.R.H. Prince Phillip and The
Templeton Foundation, Dalits in Great Britain will arrange a protest march
at the ceremony place if their request for postponement goes unattended, I
am informed.
Would you be kind enough to look into this and let us know if your
request is headed, along with acknowledgment for this letter. Our Centre
will certainly be thankful for your kindness.
Yours sincerely in struggle for just society,
Yogesh Varhade, President, ACJP
<ac...@torfree.net> <ac...@web.net>
[ENCL: Article on Athavale's writings, Ottawa Citizen newspaper article on
Yogesh Varhade and ACJP, Press Release from U.S. dalit support group.]
--------- end of ACJP letter to the Queen ---------------------
end of posting - posted by Sam Lanfranco <lan...@yorku.ca>
Abhay Patil
One is quite saddened by such developments. Whatever the facts, it is
a lose-lose situation ;-(
It may be interesting to note that Mr. Athavale's daughter is very actively
involved in his work. (This is in the light of his alleged opinion
on educating women.)
/abhay
amol dighe (asd...@yukawa.uchicago.edu) wrote:
: I heard about some protests against Pandurang Shastri Athavale
:
Sid Harth
Abhay Patil wrote:
>
> One is quite saddened by such developments. Whatever the facts, it is
> a lose-lose situation ;-(
> It may be interesting to note that Mr. Athavale's daughter is very actively
> involved in his work. (This is in the light of his alleged opinion
> on educating women.)
>
> /abhay
>
> amol dighe (asd...@yukawa.uchicago.edu) wrote:
> : getting the Templeton Award.
> :
> : Does anybody have any details on this ? I would especially like to
> : read his writings which have been referred to here, not just commentaries
> : on or quotes from them. Any suggested sources ?
> :
> : amol
My dear Amol,
Pandurangshastri's books are, basically, collected lectures. They are
available from:
Sadvichar Darshan, 2, Bhajekar Lane, Bombay 400004
Phone: 011-91-22-386-4919; 011-91-22-386-6986.
Some titles that I have:
Shrisuktam, Marathi commentary on Sanskrit book of same name.
Tulasidal, A collection of his lectures.
Bilvapatra Sthitapradnya Pujan, Geeta adhyaya 2, 54-72.
They also publish a Monthly called Tattvadnyan in Marathi.
Sid