Kanyakumari - what to look for?

[Raman K]

Thanks to Sri Raman for the beautiful pictures of Kanakumari. While
enjoying the viewing the Rock memorial please read this article as well. It
was posted earlier but those who had missed it may read it this time. Excuse if it is a repetition to many. It is worth to recall the services of these noble souls whenever we visit Kanyakumari

Sundararajan

If possible give it a wider ciculation through your friends circle - SSR

Story of Vivekananda Rock and Cross

By: V Sundaram, IAS, Retd.
November 11, 2006
Views expressed here are author's own and not of this website.

The Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari was inaugurated in 1970. The
construction of this memorial started in January 1964 and was completed in
1970. Whenever we think of Benaras Hindu University, the only name that
comes to our mind is that of its chief Viswakarma Pandit Madan Mohan
Malaviya. Likewise, whenever we think of Vivekananda Rock Memorial at
Kanyakumari, we think of only one remarkable individual who was the main
propelling force behind the conception and speedy execution of this sacred
monument. I am referring to Shri Eknath Ranade (1914 - 1982) who was a
Swayamsevak of the RSS and who had served in various capacities in the RSS
right from 1926 till he was assigned by Shri Guruji Golwalkar, the
Sarsangchalak of the RSS, to look after the gigantic task of construction
of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari in 1962. The story relating
to the birth and growth of this great national project reads like an epic
story. Eknath Ranade was indeed a Mahapurusha cast in a very grand mould.

In 1962, Shri Dattaji Didolkar was the RSS Prant Pracharak of Tamil Nadu.
In the course of his state-wide tour, the Swayamsevaks of Kanyakumari
broached the matter to him in these words: "Preparations are going on
throughout the country to celebrate the birth centenary of Swami
Vivekananda who was born in 1863. It was in Kanyakumari that Swamiji
remained in meditation for three days on a mid-sea rock and discovered the
mission of his life; what is to be done further. The rock on which he
meditated is known as the Vivekananda Rock. Therefore, we should install
some worthy memorial on that rock to mark the great occasion".

In January 1962, some leading citizens of Kanyakumari got together and
thought of putting up a memorial on the rock off the shore of Kanyakumari
where Swami Vivekananda sat and meditated about India"s past, present and
future for three days on 25, 26, and 27 December 1892. Thus was born the
Kanyakumari Vivekananda Birth Centenary Committee and the declared
objective of this Committee was to put up a memorial on the rock and a
pedestrian bridge from the shore leading to the rock. Almost
simultaneously, the Ramakrishna Mission in Madras also announced its plan
of a similar project at Kanyakumari.

What is the historical and spiritual significance of the rock on which the
Vivekananda memorial has been put up? As an itinerant monk traveling all
over India, Swami Vivekananda reached Kanyakumari in December 1892. He had
traversed the vast land of India upon the soles of his feet. He had
suffered from hunger, from thirst, form murderous nature and insulting man.
When he arrived at Kanyakumari, he was exhausted. Having no money to pay
for a boat to take him to the end of his pilgrimage, he flung himself into
the sea, and swam across the shark-infested strait and reached the top of a
mid-sea rock on 25 December, Christmas day, in 1892. He spent three days
there, returning to the shore only on 28th December 1892. At last his task
was at an end, and then, looking back as from a mountain he embraced the
whole of the India he had just traversed, and the world of thought that had
beset him during his wanderings. For more than two years earlier he had
lived in a seething cauldron, consumed with a fever ; he had carried a soul
on fire, he was a storm and hurricane.

Now on this mid-sea rock, There he meditated not on God but on Mother India
who for Swami Vivekananda was Divine Durga incarnate. What a strange
meditation ! It was as if all the pages of India"s history opened up before
him. The vast panorama of his experiences during his travels past before
his mind"s eye. He meditated on the past, the present and the future of
India, the cause of her downfall and the means of her resurrection.

He felt in his heart of hearts that India would rise only through a renewal
and restoration of that highest spiritual consciousness which had made her,
throughout her history, the cradle of religions and cultures. He then,
sitting at the last bit of rock in the Indian ocean, took the momentous
decision to go to the West to give shape to his life"s mission of spreading
India"s religion and culture throughout the whole world and also to seek
help for the poor millions of India.

To come back to the main story relating to the Vivekananda Memorial. When
the proposal for a memorial for Swami Vivekananda became known to all in
Kanyakumari in the latter half of 1962, suddenly the whole atmosphere in
Kanyakumari got surcharged with conflicting emotions between the Hindus and
the Christians in the area. The very idea of a memorial to Swami
Vivekananda was not taken to kindly by a sizable population of the local
Catholic fishermen. Stealthily they managed to put up a big Cross on the
Rock which was visible from the shore. This led to strong protests by the
Hindu population who said the Rock was a place of worship for Hindus. A
judicial probe was ordered by the then Madras (now Tamilnadu) Government
and the finding of this Commission was stated in unequivocal terms that the
rock was indeed known as Vivekananda Rock, and that the Cross put up by the
Catholic fishermen was a clear case of trespass. Amid all this controversy
and acrimony, the Cross was one day removed secretly in the night. The law
and order situation turned volatile and consequently the Rock was declared
a prohibited area with armed guards patrolling it.

The Government of Madras realized that the Rock was turning into an area of
dispute with Hindus claiming it to be the Vivekananda Rock and Christians
claiming it as St Xavier"s Rock. The Government made it clear that although
the rock was Vivekananda Rock, there would be no memorial constructed on
it. The then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Shri M. Bhaktavatsalam, said
that only a tablet declaring that the rock was associated with Swami
Vivekananda could be put up, and nothing else.

Accordingly, with government permission, a tablet was installed on the Rock
on 17 January 1963 to mark the birth centenary of Swami Vivekananda. But
the voices clamoring for a full-fledged Memorial on the Rock did not die.
In May1963, some Christian elements who were seeking vengeance for the
earlier removal of the Cross from the rock, demolished the Vivekananda
commemorative tablet and threw it into the sea.

Kanyakumari Vivekananda Birth Centenary Committee, realizing its basic
limitations as a mere District Committee, took the initiative to constitute
an All India Vivekananda Birth Centenary Committee consisting of prominent
persons in the country. This All India Committee felt the urgent need to
have an effective and important person to deal with the project and one who
could wield his influence in both the Central and State governments. It was
at this point of time that Guruji Golwalkar, the Chief of the Rashtriya
Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), requested Shri Eknath Ranade to devote his whole
time attention to the proposed Vivekananda Memorial at Kanyakumari. This
happened in January 1964. The first step he took on being asked to take
charge of the Rock Memorial work, was to ascertain that this effort had the
full support of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission. Next, he saw to it that
he was made the Organizing Secretary of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial
Committee so that he could officially be in charge of the Vivekananda Rock
Memorial mission in Kanyakumari. From that moment, this great and sacred
project took off with electronic speed, thanks to the dynamic, unshakeable,
inspiring and bold leadership of Eknath Ranade.

Another vital management decision that Eknath Ranade took was to
requisition the services of a remarkable Swayamsevak Shri Venkataraman in
November 1964. Venkatraman had been earlier a Sanghpracharak in Madurai
from 1955-57. His name was recommended by Shri.Ramgopalji who today heads
the Hindu Munnani in tamil Nadu. If Eknath Ranadeji can be viewed as
Kodandarama, Shri.Venkatramanji can be viewed as his Hanuman in every sense
of the word.

The first obstacle that Eknath Ranade had to cross was from Shri
Bhaktavatsalam who was then Chief Minister of Madras State. He took a stand
that he would not allow the memorial to come up on the mid-sea rock on the
flimsy ground that it would pose a hazard to the environment by spoiling
the natural beauty of the Rock. He was also concerned about hurting the
religious sentiments of the Catholic fishermen in the area. Bhaktavatsalam"
s view was also endorsed by Shri Humayun Kabir, the then Union Minister for
Cultural Affairs, who too had to give his clearance for this project.

To that end, on Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri"s advice, Shri Eknath Ranade
camped in Delhi. In three days, he collected the signatures of 323 Members
of Parliament in a show of all-round support for the Vivekananda Rock
Memorial, which was presented to the Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
who in turn directed both Humayun Kabir and Shri.Bhaktavatsalam to give
their immediate clearance for the construction of the Rock Memorial at
Kanyakumari.

Shri Bhaktavatsalam had given permission only for a small 15" x 15" shrine.
Knowing his reverence for the Paramacharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Shri
Eknath Ranade approached the latter for suggesting the design of the Rock
Memorial. Shri Bhaktavatsalam unhesitatingly agreed to the larger design
(130"-1�? x 56") approved and suggested by the Paramacharya of Kanchi! Thus
all political hurdles for the construction of the Memorial were removed in
one stroke by the shrewd move of Shri. Eknath Ranade

After clearing up all the political obstacles on the path of his goal of
speedy construction of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari, Eknath
Ranade saw to it that construction activity at the site began in a
methodical and organised manner. On 6 November, 1964, the first stone was
cut. Eknath Ranade was a man of tremendous faith in his chosen mission, in
God Almighty, in Guruji Golwalkar and Dr Hedgewar.

He often used to declare to those around him almost everyday : "All that I
have seen teaches me to trust the CREATOR for all I have not seen". He
also derived his Himalayan enthusiasm and energy for completing this
gigantic task from his own working philosophy which he put in very
beautiful words : "You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will
never succeed and live in torment if you do not trust enough".

Swami Vivekananda" s meditation as an unknown monk on the mid-sea Rock in
December 1892 and the discovery of his life's mission at that spot were all
established facts. Against this background, Eknath Ranade was very clear in
his mind about his mission and the field of action that lay before him. As
if in a flash, the image of Swami Vivekananda that formed itself in the
mind of Eknath Ranade was that of the Swamiji who was ready to enter the
field of action with gusto in 1892.

Eknath Ranade communicated this idea and image of Swami Vivekananda to some
distinguished artists and sculptors. He also exhorted them to read The
Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda so as to have for themselves a clear
picture of Swami Vivekananda in their minds. The famous sculptor D P Roy
Choudhry who had sculpted the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the Marina beach
He was a very famous sculptor. But he insisted that once he had made the
sculpture, it should be accepted. But Eknath Ranade did not agree to that
pre-condition. He said, "If the sculpture is satisfactory, it would be
accepted. Otherwise, payment would be made just for the work done."

Accordingly, eight sculptures were got done, out of which two were finally
selected. When they were placed on the pedestal on trial, the one with the
Kamandlam in one hand was disproportionately taller than the other. That
taller figure was installed later in Vivekanandapuram, and the other one
with Swamiji"s eyes focused on the Sripadam, was installed on the Rock
Memorial facing the Sripadam. This, in short, is the story behind the
installation of the majestic statue of Swami Vivekananda in the Rock
Memorial. The statue which was finally selected for installation was
sculpted by Sonawadekar. The construction of the memorial was entrusted to
Sthapathi S K Achari by Eknath Ranade on the considered advice of Shri
Paramachariya of Kanchi.

Eknath Ranade threw himself into the forefront facing the multifarious
challenges that came his way ? to establish scientifically that the Rock
for the memorial was structurally sound and could support such a huge
structure on it ; the logistics of quarrying and transporting large blocks
of stone from great distances, and from the shore to the Rock ; the
provision of water and power supplies ; meeting the growing demand for
skilled persons, artisans, craftsmen, and labor ; building of jetty
platforms on the rock and the shore (the pedestrian footbridge idea to the
Rock was dropped) ; the need to ensure systematic de-silting around the
jetty platform areas to enable bigger crafts to approach the shore, and so
on ? these and several other unforeseen challenges were met by Eknath
Ranade with a resolute determination.

The biggest and the most formidable and ever present challenge, however,
was that of organizing the financial resources required for the whole
operation. Shri Eknath Ranade"s belief in the success of the Rock Memorial
mission was so strong, that he never slowed down the pace of work even when
there was an acute paucity of funds from time to time during the course of
construction of the memorial from 1964 to 1970. He often used to brush
aside the pessimistic discouragement of others around him whose belief in
his sacred mission was not as strong as his own and went ahead with his
fund-raising campaign repeating to himself the words of a great
poet : "Act, act in the living present, Heart within and God overhead". No
wonder Eknath Ranade succeeded magnificently where others would have
failed.

Eknath Ranade fervently believed that the Vivekananda Rock Memorial was a
national monument of timeless significance and that every Indian should be
invited to contribute to its construction. Shri Eknath Ranade launched the
campaign of sale of one-rupee folders throughout the nation, which were
used to mobilize the donations of the common man, starting from as tiny an
amount as one rupee. By launching such a national campaign for collecting
just an amount of Rupee one from every willing citizen, Eknath Ranade
succeeded in raising an amount of Rupees one crore. Thus by his grand
vision he ensured that so many common people visiting the Rock Memorial
could have a legitimate pride that they too had contributed to that
splendid national monument.

He also approached and succeeded in persuading almost every State
government to make a decent contribution towards the construction of the
Vivekananda Rock Memorial. What is amazing is that he succeeded in making
even the States of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh participate in the work
of construction of the memorial . All the State Governments put together
made only a paltry a contribution of Rs.35 lakhs. It was solely on account
of the outstanding leadership qualities of Eknath Ranade that the
Vivekananda Rock Memorial mission never got entangled in any unseemly
political controversy or agitation at any stage during the course of
construction of the Rock Memorial from 1964 to 1970. All the petty
politicians finally surrendered to his unconquerable spirit.

Eknath Ranade has recorded in telling words about his experiences in
dealing with the Chief Ministers and politicians of India : "Leaders of
every political party, whether in power or in the opposition became willing
partners of the Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari. The only Chief
Minister who sent me back empty handed without contributing any amount to
the Rock Memorial fund was the then Kerala Chief Minister Comrade E M S
Namboodiripad. I can say this much about my abortive interview with him. It
was like conversing with a sphinx. It was monologue all the way on my part.
Only an empty stare from the other side!".

In this context the beautiful tribute paid to Eknath Ranade by
Parameswaran, President, Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari is very
relevant :It is instructive to know how Eknath Ranade made judicious use of
various means at his command for the achievement of his end. Both speech
and silence were equally effect instruments in his hands. To know when to
speak and when to keep silent is a rare gift. Eknath Ranade possessed this
abundantly. While he raised stormy controversies when necessary, he
scrupulously abstained from them when they served no purpose. He utilized
his contact with the Press for raising the right issues at the right time
and also not to raise inconvenient issues that would only complicate the
situation. Though he never dabbled in politics, he possessed a high
political acumen of which any successful politician would feel envious.

In the beginning, the estimated cost of construction of the Vivekananda
Rock Memorial was Rs 30 lakh. Then it increased to Rs 60 lakhs, then later
to 75 lakh. Finally the total cost after completion worked out to Rs one
crore and thirty five lakh. Just think what a great achievement it was to
mobilize such a huge sum of money forty years ago and complete the work in
six years!

The Vivekananda Rock Memorial was inaugurated on 2 September, 1970, and
dedicated to the nation by V V Giri, the President of India. Kalaigner
Karunanidhi presided over the dedication ceremony. There can be no doubt
whatsoever that without the catalytic and stellar role of Shri Eknath
Ranade, this grand national monument could never have been completed in
such a record time. Emerson, the great American thinker of the 19th century
said, "A great and timeless institution is the lengthened shadow of one
man". If that be so, I have no doubt that the final verdict of history will
be that the magnificent Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari is the
lengthened shadow of Eknath Ranade.

I had the unique privilege of enjoying the friendship of Eknath Ranade for
almost six years from 1976 to 1982. As a District Collector, I met him for
the first time at the Collector"s bungalow in Thirunelveli in November 1976
when I was introduced to Eknath Ranade by S G Subramaniam, who was another
great stalwart in the RSS. Later I got to know Eknath Ranade more
intimately when I became the first Chairman of Tuticorin Port Trust in
April 1979. We used to have lunch sessions from time to time at Tuticorin
and I remember distinctly his talking with animated passion about the
Vivekananda Rock Memorial. He was indeed a Mahapurusha who combined in
himself the qualities of gentleness, strength, simplicity and faith. By his
life and example he showed that making the simple complicated is common
place ; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's indeed
creativity. He demonstrated that simplicity of character is the natural
result of profound thought and that simplicity of character is no hindrance
to subtlety of intellect. He showed that life is not complex. We are
complex. Life is simple, and the simple thing is the right thing. True
eloquence consists of saying all that should be said, and that only. Eknath
Ranade did just that.

Eknath Ranade was a man of tremendous vision and right from day one he had
planned to achieve two inseparable objectives. The first major objective
was to complete the work of installation of Vivekananda Rock Memorial at
Kanyakumari. This work was started in 1964 and completed on September 2nd
1970 when the memorial was dedicated to the nation by V V Giri, the
President of India. The second major objective of Eknath Ranade was to
establish VIVEKANANDA KENDRA ? the Living Memorial alongside the stone-
structure of the rock memorial. After going through a carefully planned
process of groundwork for nearly nine years, Vivekananda Kendra was
officially founded by Eknath Ranade on 7 January, 1972 which marked the
108th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda by the Hindu calendar. On that
day, as the sun rose, a saffron flag with Om inscribed on it was unfurled
in the serene atmosphere on the Vivekananda Rock Memorial so as to herald
the founding of Vivekananda Kendra? a spiritually oriented service mission
of non-monastic order.

This second phase of the Memorial for Swami Vivekananda was not just an
afterthought which arose in Eknath Ranade"s mind. The establishment of
Vivekananda Kendra was conceived by him as early as in 1964. To quote the
exact words of Eknath Ranade in this context: "As a whole timer of RSS from
1938 to 1962 , for about 24 years, I had a fund of experience. I had come
across many people who were not full-timers as they were leading family
life. But all the same, there was a great dedication in their lives.
Sometimes it occurred to me, "This person is having a family ? is having
children ? is in service ? is doing business. Still, with what a great
dedication he is leading a householder' s life? Suppose he was free of all
domestic worries, what great amount of work he would have put in? We can
have a particular order of workers in whose case marriage need not be
barred and who can marry if they want. If we can provide for all their
basic needs, we may get a fine class of workers out of such dedicated
people we see all around". But what that work could be? I started
discussing this proposal with Swami Ranganathananda, Secretary of the
Institute of Culture. He welcomed the establishment of a LAY ORDER of life-
time workers to work for the cause of Sanatana Dharma as expounded by Swami
Vivekananda by his life and example. Likewise I had discussions with
Dr.Radhakrishnan, the President of India, Shri Jayaprakash Narayan, Shri
Lal Bahadur Shastri and several other national leaders and all of them
applauded and approved of the idea. The then President of the Ramakrishna
Mission gave his concurrence to my proposal for the establishment of
VIVEKANANDA KENDRA".

Great faith is not like an exact mathematical formula which can be agreed
to if the weight of evidence favors it. Vigorous questioning can always
propel a restoration and deepening of conviction. Paradoxically, it is the
very questioning that causes the rubbing that polishes the pearl. This is
what exactly happened with Eknath Ranade whose faith in his mission was
invincible. He passionately shared Einstein"s affirmation that anyone who
is not lost on the rapturous awe at the power and glory of the mind and the
spirit behind the universe "is as good as burnt out candle".

During his last meeting with me in June 1982 when he was fighting against
the machinations of some Christian clerics in Kanyakumari, he told me with
calm determination: "It is your own assent to yourself, and the constant
voice of your own reason, and not of others, that should make you believe.
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead
also. Faith has to be kept alive in us so that it gathers strength, more
from practice than from speculations. Faith is not a series of gilt-edged
propositions that you sit down to figure out, and if you follow all the
logic and accept all the conclusions, then you have it. On the contrary, it
is crumpling and throwing away everything, proposition by proposition,
until nothing is left, and then writing a new proposition, your very own,
to throw in the teeth of despair". As it was for his master Shri Guruji
Golwalkar and in turn his master Dr Hedgewar, faith was the antiseptic of
Eknath Ranade"s soul. Vivekananda Kendra was an outgrowth of such a kind of
faith.

Thanks to the faith and vision of Eknath Ranade, the glorious tradition of
penance established by Swami Vivekananda on the mid-sea rock in December
1982 has been continued by young men and women coming as Karyakartas of
Vivekananda Kendra to spread the immortal message of Swami Vivekananda: "A
hundred thousand men and women, fired with the zeal of holiness, fortified
with eternal faith in the Lord, and nerved to lion's courage by their
sympathy for the poor and the fallen and the downtrodden, will go over the
length and breadth of the land, preaching the gospel of salvation, the
gospel of help, the gospel of social raising up, the gospel of equality".
Everyday, at sunrise the saffron flag with Om is hoisted on the Rock
Memorial and lowered at sunset.

The twin objectives of Vivekananda Kendra are man-making and nation-
building. With great foresight, Shri Eknath Ranade decided that Vivekananda
Kendra should be a cadre-based organization. Young men and women whose
hearts long to serve the nation should be provided the opportunity and the
right platform to serve God in man. As envisaged by him, carefully chosen
lifetime workers called Jeevanvratis are properly trained and posted to
different parts of the country. They work without any salary. However,
their upkeep and wellbeing? Yogakshema ? are taken care of by Vivekananda
Kendra. The mission statement of Vivekananda Kendra was given by Eknath
Ranade in these words: "The remedy for the ills of our country, therefore,
lies in launching a mighty movement of right thought sweeping the entire
country. It has to be a two-pronged move. On the one hand, it is to be
aimed (I) transforming our people"s inherent God-wardness into right
spiritual urge rising out of the teachings of the Upanishads , namely, (a)
each soul is potentially divine and (b) faith in God, in turn means faith
in one"s self, ie. In one's potentiality to rise to divine heights. On the
other hand, it is (II) to convert the spiritual fervor thus released into
works of national reconstruction" .

During the last 34 years Vivekananda Kendra has grown from strength to
strength covering different parts of India like Tamilnadu, Kerala,
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madya Pradesh, Rajasthan, New
Delhi, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Developmental and Welfare activities in
the field of pre-education, primary education, secondary education, public
health and various other aspects of rural development have been undertaken
to initiate a new process of development in the remote and backward areas
in order to open out to the poor people in those areas opportunities for a
richer and fuller life.

There are two mid-sea rocks off the shore of Kanyakumari. One of the rocks
is the Vivekananda Rock, on which a memorial has been constructed and
nearly 12 lakh of people visit this memorial annually. There is another
smaller rock, not very far from the Vivekananda rock, and many of the
Christian missionaries laid their claim for constructing a small church or
a statue of Jesus Christ on this rock in 1979. Eknath Ranade showed his
clairvoyant vision by persuading Dr MGR, the then Chief Minister of
Tamilnadu, agree to the installation of Thiruvalluvar statue on this rock.
The foundation stone for the Thiruvalluvar statue was laid by Morarji
Desai, the Prime Minister of India on 15 April, 1979. Eknath Ranade was a
great statesman and he used the good offices of Prabhudas Patwari, the then
Governor of Tamilnadu to make Dr MGR agree to this proposal. Like Mahakavi
Bharathi, Eknath Ranade was a true nationalist and a true Tamilian rolled
into one. Prabhudas Patwari was persuaded by the inspiring words of Eknath
Ranade. "Let us have faith that right makes might; and in that faith let us
dare to do our duty as we understand it". Eknath Ranade dared and
succeeded.

After leading a glorious life of unexampled service and selflessness as a
Karmayogi, Eknath Ranade passed into immortality at Madras on Vinayak
Chaturthi day on 22 August, 1982. The main theme of Eknath Ranade"s life
was to take the message of Sanatana Dharma to every home and pave the way
for launching in a big way the man-making programmes preached and envisaged
by great seers like Swami Vivekananda. By establishing the Vivekananda Rock
Memorial at Kanyakumari and by creating Vivekananda Kendra, Eknath Ranade
has indeed made the following words of Swami Vivekananda come true in
letter and spirit: "We want thousands of men and women, who will spread
like wild fire from the Himalayas to Kanyakumari, from North Pole to South
Pole ? all over the world. Let those who have come for child's play be off
now, while there is time, or they will surely come to grief. We want an
organization. Off with Laziness ! Spread ! Run like fire to all place. Who
will give the world light? Sacrifice in the past has been the Law, it will
be, alas, for ages to come. The earth's bravest and best will have to
sacrifice themselves for the good for man, for the welfare of all".

V Sundaram, IAS, Retd

.

--

K.Raman.