Chennai, April 24:
[Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080425/jsp/nation/story_9183277.jsp] 

TN govt retreats on Vivekananda House

M.R. VENKATESH

The Tamil Nadu government today handed victory to Ramakrishna Math, saying it had “no plans to take back or demolish” Vivekananda House where the monk-philosopher stayed four years after his path-breaking 1893 Chicago address.

“The status quo vis-à-vis Vivekananda House will be maintained, and there is no need to exercise our minds over it, or make this a big issue,” chief minister M. Karunanidhi told the Assembly.

“The building is strong and I wish to assure you that nobody wants to pull it down or have any such intent.”

The Telegraph had earlier this week reported that the DMK-led government had sent word through an industrialist well-wisher of the Math that it would have to vacate the building by today (April 24), two years before the lease expires.

The chief minister, however, sent out a veiled warning. He said he hoped Math authorities would not take recourse to legal steps “in haste” and “try to challenge the government” as that would not be in tune with Vivekananda’s philosophy.

Math authorities sounded relieved, but were cautious. “For the time being there is no worry. Beyond that we don’t want to comment now,” said a spokesman for Swami Gautamanandaji, head of the Math in Chennai.

Almost the entire Opposition led by the ADMK and even some of the ruling DMK’s allies such as the Congress and the PMK had opposed any takeover bid by the state before or after the building’s lease period ended in February 2010.

Karunanidhi said there was no proposal to take back the building, which the emissary to the Math had said would be used to house a centre for Tamil classical language.

[Source: http://newstodaynet.com/newsindex.php?id=6844%20&%20section=7]

V House to remain intact

Tamilnadu Chief Minister has dismissed reports about plans to demolish Vivekananda House near Marina beach in Chennai.

He said the government had no plans to build a Tamil cultural centre in its place as reported in the news media.

Replying to a special call attention motion in the Assembly, he said some were trying to create a conflict between the government and samiyars by spreading malicious news that the memorial of Swami Vivekananda would be razed down.

‘We don’t have any problem with Swami Vivekananda. His preachings were almost similar to those of our leaders Periyar and Anna,’ said the Chief Minister.

Stating that it was his government which had leased the Vivekananda House to Ramakrishna Math, Karunanidhi said there was not even an iota of truth in the reports.

He also said the Palar House, another building on the same Kamaraj Road, would house the Tamil centre which would be set for the growth of the language with funds from the Centre.

It may be recalled that the main opposition party AIADMK, BJP and other political parties opposed the Tamilnadu government’s alleged directive to the Ramakrishna Math to return the Vivekanandar House.

In a statement, AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa said the DMK government was in no way justified to ask the Math to move out of the premises, named after Swami Vivekananda, by 24 April.

Instead, the government could find a new premises for setting up the Tamil centre, she added.

She said the Castle Kernan premises was called Vivekanandar Illam as the spiritual leader had stayed there for nine days in 1897 after attending the Parliament of Religions in Chicago.

BJP State president L Ganesan, in a statement, had said that as long as the Math was using the premises for the purpose for which it was given on lease to it, the government had no case to get it back.

‘While Classical Tamil Centre could be set up anywhere in the city, no other place could get the status of Vivekanadar Illam, he said, seeking the intervention of Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to drop the alleged move by extending the lease period till 2010.’

Meanwhile, Swami Gautama-nandaji, who heads the Ramakrishna Math in Chennai, said he was shocked when he received a ‘high-level message’ through an industrialist well- wisher that the government wanted the premises back by 24 April.

‘There is nothing on paper as of now, but word has reached us from the highest quarters in the government to hand over the house and the land.’ he said. 

April 24:
[Source: http://www.newsonair.com/news.asp?cat=state&id=ST715]

Status quo to be maintained at Vivekananda House

The Tamil Nadu Government on Thursday said status quo will be maintained on Vivekanandar House, being maintained by the Ramakrishna Mutt in chennai.

Replying to a special call attention motion on the issue in the state assembly, chief minister Mr Karunanidhi said there was no proposal to take over the building, given on ten-year lease to Ramakrishna Mutt. He asserted that the preachings of Swami Vivekananda, was akin to the one espoused by rationalist leader and social reformer Periyar and late Chief Minister C N Annadurai.

The chief minister announced that the classical tamil centre would be temporarily house in palar house on the beach road in chennai till a permanent building at perungudi on the IT corridor was completed.
AIR correspondent reports that Swami Vivekananda, stayed in the house in 1897 for nine days after his return from Chicago where he addressed the Parliament of World Religions .

 April 22:
[Source: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080423/jsp/nation/story_9175896.jsp]
M.R. VENKATESH

TN govt wants Mission house back
- Call to return building where Swami Vivekananda stayed ‘shocks’ Ramakrishna Math

Swami Vivekananda had stayed in this building (picture on left) for nine days in 1897 — February 6-15 — on his return to India four years after the address to the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. The first branch of Ramakrishna Math in the country was started in the building the same year.

Swami Vivekananda had stayed in this building (picture on left) for nine days in 1897 - February 6-15 - on his return to India four years after the address to the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. The first branch of Ramakrishna Math in the country was started in the building the same year.

 The Ramakrishna Math has been asked to return Vivekananda House, a landmark building in Swamiji’s life, to the Tamil Nadu government by Thursday, two years before the lease expires.

Swami Gautamanandaji, who heads the Ramakrishna Math in Chennai, said he was “shocked” when he received a “high-level message” through an industrialist well wisher that the M. Karunanidhi government wanted the premises back by April 24.

“There is nothing on paper as of now, but word has reached us from the highest quarters in the government to hand over the house and the land by April 24,” Swami Gautamanandaji said.

A spokesman for Swami Prabhanandaji, general secretary of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, said at Belur Math: “We would never like to part with historic buildings where Swamiji had stayed. The Tamil Nadu government had initially leased the building to us for three years in 1997 and then the lease was extended to 2010. So the lease is still alive. We would like to request the Tamil Nadu government to continue the lease.”

The state wants the building to house a proposed centre for Tamil classical language. Swami Gautamanandaji said engineers from the public works department had visited Vivekananda House and told Math authorities that the government would provide them with alternative land.

On his return to India in 1897 after his path-breaking address to the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago four years earlier, Swami Vivekananda had stayed in the building for nine days, from February 6 to 15.

Before leaving for Calcutta, he sat in meditation and delivered a series of lectures following up on his legendary Chicago address on India’s civilisation and spirituality.

A hundred years later, and after decades of efforts, the Ramakrishna Math, founded by Vivekananda, took over and renovated the decaying building in 1997. The three-year lease was extended by another 10 years, ironically by the previous DMK regime of Karunanidhi, up to February 2010.

The building has a built-up area of 28,000 square feet spread over an acre of land facing the sea.

As mandated by the state when the premises were given, the Math has set up a permanent exhibition on India’s cultural heritage and a rare photo exhibition on Swami Vivekananda in the building.

The lease agreement requires that the Math be given at least three months to vacate Vivekananda House — and that too only if any of the lease conditions has been violated, Swami Gautamanandaji said.

In 1999, the Math had spent Rs 65 lakh to renovate the building, which now has a statue of Swami Vivekananda in a meditative pose facing the sea. The house is quite a draw among tourists.

Karunanidhi, who was chief minister in 2000, had inaugurated the renovated Vivekananda House.

The building used to be known as “Ice House” till an attorney by the name of “Pedigree” Iyengar bought it and rented it out to a Colonel Kernan. The building then earned the name “Castle Kernan”.

“It has an added historical significance for us since the first branch of the Ramakrishna Math in the country was started in Chennai in that very house in 1897,” said an anguished Swami Gautamanandaji. In 1906, the Math moved to its present premises in Mylapore.

The government was on the defensive when asked why it had told the Math to vacate the premises. “We have only asked them (the Math) when the lease period ends,” said an official in the public works department.

Flummoxed by the government’s sudden change of heart, the Math has begun consulting legal experts. It is contemplating approaching Madras High Court with a petition seeking “security and protection” for Vivekananda House.

If the Math moves court, it is likely to argue that the house holds deep spiritual meaning for thousands of people and that the Math is under no obligation to vacate it since the lease period has not expired.

It is ironical that the Tamil Nadu government wants the premises back. The state had played an important role in Swami Vivekananda’s life.

In 1892, two years after he began his journey across India, Swamiji had reached Kanyakumari where he swam across the sea and started meditating on a lone rock.

He then travelled to Madras and spoke about his plans for India and Hinduism to the young men of the city. Impressed, they urged him to take part in the Chicago parliament.

Swami Gautamanandaji said that the governments of the places Swami Vivekananda had visited — be it Belgaum in Karnataka, Limbi in Gujarat or Khetri in Rajasthan — had gifted the houses where he had stayed to the Math.

Even communist-ruled Bengal had acquired the house in which Swami Vivekananda was born in Calcutta, spent around Rs 22 crore to renovate it and given it to the Math to be preserved as a monument.