Thakur Anukulchandra and his Mission

Last days of Shri Shri Thakur – Buddadev Chakraborty

Being a prophet on the earth, Sri Sri Thakur had to face lot of hurdles as he went ahead with his mission of man making, taking man away from the clutches of complexes. He underwent stiff challenges from his surroundings, including his immediate environment that is his family. It was during Sri Sri Thakur’s last stage when he was kept home exiled which made him desolate and gradually his health deteriorated. Something highly strange and suspicious developments engulfed his vicinity and combined with Sri Sri Thakur’s old age and failing health, forced him to leave this earth behind. Sri Sri Thakur perhaps knew that his teachings and Satsang would be held hostage by his immediate successors and would fall prey to the conspiracy of a coterie of followers, who would utilize his legacy for their self interest. Something similar to that happened when his eldest son, popularly known as Borda(Amarendra Nath Chakravarty)one of my grandfather, after the demise of Sri Sri Thakur, announced to be his spiritual successor (absurd). The other two sons of Sri Sri Thakur are: Vivek Ranjan Chakravarty,who is my grandfather(Chorda) and Pracheta Ranjan Chakravarty also one of my grandfather (Kajalda). Borda, however attempted to usurp all the material empire of Satsang for his own sake and for that he ostracized two of his younger brothers and some true fellow disciples. He slowly and systematically, with the help of some shrewd selfish followers captured Satsang administration and started demolishing the purity of the ideological framework that was identified with Sri Sri Thakur. Borda didn’t like the Thakur’s teaching and principle be adored by the people as he has some hidden agenda of becoming the new cult as “Acharyadev”, which was forcibly applied to the then followers who had no place to stay other than Satsang Ashram. As they were from poor family and wanted to have a secure place under the auspices of Sri Sri Thakur; but when they realized that after Thakur’s absence it will be difficult for them to survive with their family they started to glorify Borda as the new Acharyadev who has got the spiritual power from Thakur. It may be logical to bring in here that Sri Sri Thakur, as God in human form, had other members in the family. But none of them could claim to share his Godhood, except that each of them has purity and holiness flowing in his or her blood which he or she would inherit by principles of heredity. Sri Sri Thakur is Almighty God born in the form of man with flesh and blood. His descendants will be respected. They can represent Sri Sri Thakur; but none can replace Sri Sri Thakur. Sri Sri Thakur is the Ideal, to be followed, to be kept at the centre of the devotee’s life.

Borda even tried to manipulate and tampered Sri Sri Thakur’s literature to suit his position and his objectives. He altered some texts in books which would be in favour of him particularly where to send the Istabhrity (the offers to the Ideal) as the main Philanthropy office where most of the disciples send their offerings. He even started the new way of Prayer and new Mantra (the daily utterances) of Istabhrity. As far as the prayer is concerned, in the mid sixties Sri Sri Thakur suffered from arthritis which is a disease of joint pain, he could not sit crossed legged for sometime. So in order to give relief, Borda curtailed some of the stanzas of prayer. Now as Borda was doing some changes in the philosophy of Sri Sri Thakur he made the shorter version of prayer as the new mode of prayer and it was introduced as a regular practice for everyone to follow. Those who did not swear by the loyalty to Borda, it was difficult for them to survive in Satsang organization, no matter how long he or she has been attached with Sri Sri Thakur. Ruthlessly, Satsang alienated all true devotes of Sri Sri Thakur and those very devotees built the Satsang movement by dedicating their lives. In the year 1971 Pujaniya Baroma, the first wife of Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra, left for heavenly abode.

That is how a tradition of successor ‘acharya’ has been built in the Satsang environment, which has built a feudalistic culture in the Satsang. Devotion on Sri Sri Thakur has been replaced by the loyalty to the family. Series of photographs are being placed by the side of Sri Sri Thakur, which has only helped to distract attention from Sri Sri Thakur. One has to send ‘acharyabhrity’ alongside ‘istabhrity’ which is ridiculous. The ritwiks (who is the bonding person between the Thakur and a simple man) have been allured and trained to follow his rules. By bringing these distortions in Sri Sri Thakur’s ideology and by forcing true devotees to desert Satsang, Satsang organization became weak. It has got fragmented into splinter groups. Devotees in general got disoriented in seeing feud in Sri Sri Thakur’s family. So many power centers got created in Satsang, all trying to exploit people’s devotion on Thakur and devotees’ offering for Thakur, that is ‘ishtabhrity’.

Main Satsang, under the control Borda went on expanding their branches, by building real estates and constructing temples. By the end of the 1989’s there were as many as thirty satsang centers which is termed as Satsang Vihar all over India. The time of Borda came to an end in early ninety’s and the time for his eldest son Ashok Chakravarty came. The same thing happened to Ashok Chakravarty but not as tough as his father. Now ‘Sri Sri Dada’ is his new nomenclature, is not doing anything different, continuing to manage the organization.

Deplorable fact is that these developments brought disunity and distraction amongst the large followers of Sri Sri Thakur. The spirit of man making and elevation of consciousness by the process of spiritual pursuit came to remain confined to some select conscientious devotees, who became kind of cross bearer, but minority group. The ferocious flow of Satsang river, which promised to serve the mankind, got reduced to multiple slender streams, struggling to keep their existence live in otherwise highly dynamic world, ravaged by complexes and affluence. The developmental work of Satsang in terms of mega projects and implementation of Sri Sri Thakur’s ideology in the society has faced roadblocks due to numerous reasons, primary among them is the in-fighting amongst the fraternity of devotees.

No one has right to play with the sentiment of people and exploit their belief on Sri Sri Thakur. I one of the great grandsons of Sri Sri Thakur vehemently oppose the present scenario and urge the people to play an active part to revolt against the present authorities of Satsang. Satsang has evolved out of Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra for the benefit of the people .The preamble says that Satsang looks after the economic situation of the poor people, social status of the people and the integrity of the people. But none of the above is been fulfilled by the present management of Satsang.

Some of us have reason to believe that Sri Sri Thakur, the seer had a preview of all these happening today. He took steps to guard against the deviation of his ideology that was known to happen after his physical disappearance. He made adequate provisions so that truth prevails, his ideology remains available undistorted to people and people get the peace, progress and prosperity. Today also nothing is escaping his vigilant notice. He lives through his literature, his ideology and through the conducts of his devotees. This article is an earnest appeal to people to follow the ideology of Sri Sri Thakur in its spirit, in their own interest and follow His dicta and literature which is approved by himself.The devotees must restrict to the literature published before his sad demise i.e in 27th January 1969. Sri Sri Thakur is unique, irreplaceable and devotion on him cannot be shared. We are aware that we are passing through hard time and only Sri Sri Thakur provides the path, the solution and the solace.

Bande Purushottamam