Paper presented at the5 th World Atheist Conference organized by Atheist Center Vijawada at Siddhardtha StadiuPam on January 7,8,9 of 2005

THE BUSINESS EMPIRES OF GODMEN: A STUDY ON AUROBINDO ASHRAM
N.Nandhivarman General Secretary Dravida Peravai
Every bearded person with a saffron dress could become a saint in India. These pious men show the way to God, most theists’ think. But in reality they portray them as God and in that process fleece money from public and build their business empire. A freedom fighter Aurobindo Ghosh who fled from Bengal landed in Pondicherrry as refugee. He came under the influence of Paul Richard, a philosopher whose works he ventured to translate from French. Mahakavi Bharathiar introduced to Aurobindo Ghosh the literature of Tamil Siddhars especially Thirumoolar who wrote Thirumanthiram. As a blend of these influences with the mastery Aurobindo had over English he could write many books. Because he had been elevated to God status, no one dares to research the origins of his philosophy and the sources of his inspiration. But the learned judges of the Supreme Court had in their verdict admitted him to be only a philosopher and nothing more. Yet his followers propagate the idea that he is an avatar, which is an affront on the decision of the Supreme Court bench. In a bench judgment in the S.P.Mittal versus Union of India (AIR 1983) case Chief Justice V.Chandrachud, Justices P.N.Bhagawathy, V.Balakrishna Erady and R.B.Mishra with the exception of dissenting O.Chinnappa Reddy have made it clear that Aurobindo is only a Poet and Philosopher.
The Encyclopedia Britannica (1978 edition) describes Aurobindo Ghosh as “ seer, poet and Indian nationalist who originated the philosophy of cosmic salvation through spiritual evolution, a divine experience that will appear through the development of Gnostic mean to usher in a transcendental spiritual age in which man and the Universe are destined to become divine. Aurobindo’s theory of cosmic salvation, the paths to Union with Brahman is two way streets or channels. Enlightenment comes to man from above while the spiritual mind (super-mind) of man strives through yogic illumination to reach upward from below. When these two forces blend in an individual a Gnostic man is created. This yogic illumination transcends both reason and intuition and eventually leads to freeing of the individual from the bonds of individuality and by extension all mankind will eventually achieve mukthi (liberation) Thus Aurobindo created a dialectic mode of salvation not only for the individual but also for all mankind ”. Says the definition.
Karl Marx and dialectical materialism stands proven in the test of times whereas those who tried to rope the word dialectical for salvation stands proven to be false prophets.
Under the head History of Hinduism, Encyclopedia Britannica says, “ Another modern teacher whose doctrines have had some influence outside India was Aurobindo, who began a career as a revolutionary. He with drew from politics, however, and settled in Pondicherry, then a French possession. There he established an ashrama (a retreat) and achieved high reputation as a sage. His followers looked on him as first reincarnate manifestation of super beings whose evolution he prophesized and apparently he did not discourage this belief. After his death, the leadership of the Ashram was taken over by The Mother Madame Mira Richard, a Frenchwoman who had been one of his leading disciples” Well it is the Mira Richard’s husband Paul Richard, whose works Aurobindo translated were one of the reasons for his philosophy to blossom. Let impartial researchers dig deep into the writings of both to arrive at a conclusion who influenced whom?
Aurobindo Ghosh, the reincarnation of Lord Krishna according to his followers could not prove his philosophy while he lived. He could use the mastery of the language to mesmerize people but he failed to become a Super human being. He passed away like other mortals. While he passed away rumours were spread that there will be a resurrection, a feeble attempt to equalize with Christian beliefs. That too failed, and he is laid to rest at Ashram. His philosophy also is laid to rest there. Yet even after God-man fails in his claims the spiritual business empires built by their followers are keen to keep alive a falsity and a failed promise.
After the original prophet failed, then French woman Mira Richard became the Mother to lead the Ashram. Did she succeed? She succeeded Aurobindo as Spiritual Master but did she succeed in proving the philosophy? Let us think this aspect here. The collected words of Mira Richard had been published and recorded in audiocassettes. Mother’s Agenda as the book calls itself claims that “ This tremendous document 6000 pages and in the 13 volumes is the day to day account over twenty two years of Mothers exploration into the body consciousness and of her discovery of a cellular mind capable of restructuring the nature of the body and the laws of the species as drastically as one day the first stammering of a thinking mind transformed the nature of the ape. It is a veritable document of experimental evolution. A revolution in consciousness that alters the laws of the species. And it is the question of our times, for whatever appearances, we are not at the end of a civilization but at the end of an evolutionary cycle. Are we going to find the passage to next species…. or perish? As scrupulously as a scientist in his laboratory, Mother goes back to the origins of matters formation to the primordial code, and there by chance stumbles upon the very power that changes death and upon a new energy which curiously parallels the most recent theories on the subatomic nature of matter. The key to matter contains the key to death and the key to next species”
The spiritual lady prophet who found the key to death is dead. Perhaps she had lost that key. And Aurobindo Ashram all these years had been searching for that key, and none found. Mira Richard did not succeed in altering the laws of species. And yet why she should be revered? Why should there be an ashram to propagate a failed theory? And why Ashram has no Guru after her? Why her followers failed to identify one successor to her seat? An ashram or mutt without a Guru in the own definition of Aurobindo had only to down its shutters. What exists is a mere Trust and subsidiary trusts.
About the Trust and its subsidiaries we had complained to the Government of India. Dravida Peravai complained to then UNION FINANCE MINISTER YASWANT SINHA on 10.10.1998.UNION DEFENCE MINISTER GEORGE FERNANDES had forwarded that complaint on 14 th October, and the Union Finance Minister had replied on 2nd November 1998. We reproduce that memorandum here.
“Poorest of the poor too are contributing their mite via indirect taxes. In such a situation, planned tax evasions and abuse of exemptions amounts to gravest of the crime. Finance ministry must monitor the end use of exemptions, at least in cases where its attention is drawn. Motive: The motive to float a Trust must not be for tax evasion. Let us have a look at the resolution-dated 19.12.1975 of Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust. The opening lines are given in quote:
It has been decided in the interest of ashram that in order to be free from Income Tax on its business incomes that would otherwise be attracted inevitably because of the new Income Tax Amendment Act 1975 and the recent decisions of Supreme Court on Trusts doing business, the Ashram shall stop doing business and its existing businesses shall be taken over by Aurobindo Ashram Harpagan Workshop Trust………………………”
It is becoming crystal clear to one and all that the very name WORKSHOP in the TRUST sounds odd. It is similar to accosting a person as Mohammed Ibrahim Iyer. Management: It is to be noted that Mr.L.M.Pinto, a Goan is the founder of Aurobindo Ashram Harpagan workshop Trust. When SAAT transferred its business units to this Trust, as stated above to evade TAX, the names of the new Trustees of this Aurobindo Ashram Workshop Trust needs to be mentioned. They are Udar alias L.M.Pinto, Pradyot, Harikant.C.Patel, Dyuman, and Counama. SAME PERSONS WHO ARE TRUSTEES IN THIRU AUROBINDO ASHRAM TRUST HAVE OVERNIGHT BECOME TRUSTEES IN AUROBINDO ASHRAM HARPAGAN WORKSHOP TRUST. Old wine bottled in new bottle is clearly for tax evasion and nothing else, it will become proven without an iota of doubt…so continues the memorandum. That is tax evasion.
There are more than 48 civil and criminal cases pending in various courts of the land against Ashram. If the Center is concerned about the reputation of the Ashram, it is high time that it decides to intervene decisively. At the time of passing the Auroville Foundation Act, Mrs.Indira Gandhi sent her Home Minister to solicit opinion from within and came to the right conclusion .If the Center is blind to the on goings in ashram let them regret at a later date when things will go beyond a stage of redemption. Various agencies of the Center are regularly getting information on the scandals inside the ashram, and yet if Center pretends that all is well there, they will be blamed by the public for their inaction and passive submission to the criminalized management at the helm of affairs. This is with regard to ashram and its subsidiary trusts.
But there exists a so-called international city, a dream of the Late Mira Richard, known as Mother of Aurobindo Ashram. That can be said to be the story of deceit. Right from the beginning their aim is to establish a Vatican type of autonomous state.

1. Fact: NEW CITY STATE: Dr.Kirit Joshi Chairman of Governing Board with an Auroville delegation met Dr.Murli Manohar Joshi Minister for Hinduvta Development and Dr.Jagmohan Minister for Urban Development and presented the Master Plan ratified by the Governing Board in 18 &19 of December 1999. Earlier Residents Assembly had approved. (Source: Auroville Land Fund News Letter Number 12 April-May 2000) Question: Assembly in lexicon may mean different, here it seems Auro-villians consider it a city-state like Roman city-state.

2.Fact: RE-COLONIZATION A global campaign to raise $ 1 million or 5 crores by Mother’s birthday on 21 st Febraury 2004. (From 1 st January to November 2003 $ 550.000 has been donated) This is twice the amount Land Fund usually receives in a year. An excellent boost for Land Fund, and the equivalent of about 65 acres of precious land for Auroville. (Source: Land Fund News Letter number 31 November- December 2003) . Question: If $ 550,000 dollars can buy 65 acres what price is for 1 acre, and whether that price goes to the actual owner?

3.Fact: POLITICS OF ANARCHY: What political organization do you want for Auroville? To this question Mirra Alfasa replies: An amusing definition occurs to me: A divine anarchy. But the world will not understand. Men must be conscious of their psychic being and organize themselves spontaneously, without fixed rules and laws- that is the ideal. (Source: Draft II of a working paper on an international organization for Auroville September 2001)

Question: Mirra Alfasa, as you said world in your time may not understand the DIVINE ANARCHY let loose by you, but in present day even a LKG child will understand that you are against the laws of the land and want to create a lawless society.

4.Fact: A SEPARATE CURRENCY for a community within India is the first step to establish a city-state like Vatican here. Out of 191 member states of the world in United Nations, Vatican has opted out to remain outside the purview of UN, in spite of enjoying a status of a separate country. Similarly Aurovillians want to keep Auroville outside India and its constitution. THE FIRST STEP TO INTRODUCE AUROSE, a legal tender for Auroville is in place. (Source: Auroville News April 7 th 2001) Question: Who is the Finance Minister of this new state, not born out of Tamil extremism but a product of Auro extremism?

5. Fact: EMBASSY IN DELHI: The newly yet to be independent country or a princely state or a colony of Kashmir Maharaja Hari Singh’s son Karan Singh intends to open an embassy in the National capital of Delhi. “ There is a possible opening for an Auroville “embassy” in Delhi through the possible help from Indian Habitat Centre.” (Source: Auroville News Feb 19 th 2000) Question: Before attaining freedom from India Auro extremists want an embassy. Will government of India allow Nagaland and other claimants of separate nations to open an embassy in Delhi?

Well all that is said are with regard to one Godman, the so-called reincarnation of Lord Krishna namely Aurobindo Ghosh. There are many Godmen in India like the Jayendra Saraswathi swamigal of Kanchi kamakodi peeth. The very foundation of this mutt is shaky, not because of tsunami but because of the castles of lies over which it rests. A 1933 Bombay High Court judgment said “ It is not disputed that the religious reformer Shankara, about the 8 th century A.D established four mutts or monasteries for sanyasis and ascetics in the North South, East and West of India.” Patna High Court in 1936 also had only recognized 4 mutts. During 1972 the Supreme Court of India stated that Sankara established four mutts as seats of religion at four ends on India, The Sringeri mutt on the sringeri hills in the south, the Sharada mutt on the Dwaraka in the west, the Badrinath mutt at Badrinath in the north and the Goverdana mutt at Puri in the East. Each of the mutts has a sanyasi as its head who bears the title of Shankaracharya in general. Sankara is said to have had 4 principle disciples who were all Brahmins. The orthodox Hindu recognizes no other sanyasis”

In a land governed by a constitution and rule of law, even after High courts and Supreme Court had said that only 4 mutts were created by Sankara, how come Kanchi mutt be a Shankara mutt and the daytime sanyasi and night time samsaris can hold the tag of Shankaracharya? Is it not a fraud committed on the people of India? To claim a status of Shankaracharya to a mutt head, which has no true inheritance of that mantle, is a daylight fraud over which till now no punishment is meted out. Quack Shankaracharyas too can roam as Godman and build business empires, all ends well for the spiritual capiltalists. Let us expose all Indian Godman living or dead!
N.Nandhivarman
General Secretary Dravida Peravai
39 Montorsier Street Pondicherry 605001
Tel: 0413-5209544 Email : annaist@sify.com /
nandhivarman@hotmail.com

web: www.geocities.com/dravidaperavai