NRIs upset of Media report for pin-pointing Swadhyaya Parivar in Pankaj Trivedi murder case

California. 23rd June 2006
Dr. Jagdish & Bhavna Joshi

Swadhyaya is a spiritual movement founded by Rev. Pandurang Shastri Athavale, fondly known as "Dadaji", which means elder brother. Born in 1920, Dadaji took a resolve to uplift human life through the means of self-introspection ('Swadhyaya'). He looked deeply into the problems that plague humanity. He noted that these problems were the result of alienation of man from his creator. His solution to these inherent issues, therefore, included the concept that we are all sons and daughters of the same god.

Hence the Swadhyaya philosophy and work are based upon the belief that god is present in each of us and we are, as a result, related by this divine relationship. Dadaji has coined this concept as "the brotherhood of man under the fatherhood of God"; hence it is indeed a parivaar, a family, which now includes tens of millions. It strongly emphasizes dignity of all human
beings. It transcends the boundaries of caste, creed, and religion. It welcomes anyone to join unconditionally, without any membership requirements, and it allows any member the total freedom to leave at any time. It has brought about a multifaceted revolution encompassing all aspects of human life; these include spiritual, social, economical, emotional, and political elements. Dadaji calls this the five-colored revolution. This is a peaceful revolution that has been described by a prominent educator as "a silent yet singing revolution". It does not support, encourage or condone any violence. It has never solicited any money nor has it accepted funds from anyone who is not an active member.

Dadaji and Didiji have always preached and practiced love and unity of all. They have never sought any recognition, prestige or awards. Swadhyaya work has been studied by many research scholars, economists, politicians, and
social thinkers. The United Nations (UN) has also taken a keen interest in this work. Many laurels and awards have been given to Dadaji and Didiji from around the globe, including the Sir John Templeton Award for Progress in Religion, the Ramon Magsaysay Award from the Phillipines, and the noteworthy Padma Vibhushan title from the government of India.

Dadaji single-handedly started his work by visiting the entire Indian subcontinent, along with many other areas of the world. It has transformed countless lives in tens of thousands of villages in India. Dadaji worked incessantly through his demise, which occurred in late 2003. During all these years of work, as Dadaji went from "heart-to-heart" and "hut-to-hut"
in thousands of villages of India, Mrs. Dhanashree Talwalkar, Dadaji's daughter, was his constant companion. With her own efforts, love, and dedication, she has become the heart and soul of the "Swadhyaya parivaar". In his later years, Dadaji delegated the full responsibility of his work to Mrs. Talwalkar, affectionately known as "Didiji", which means "elder sister".

Unfortunately, when Dadaji delegated Didiji to take on the responsibility of the massive Swadhyaya work, there were a few members of the Swadhyaya family who did not accept this decision. Because of their longstanding relationship with Dadaji, they felt a sense of entitlement to this responsibility. Begrudged by the appointment of Didiji to take the responsibility, they and a few of their cohorts began a concerted effort to destroy Didiji's image and tarnish Dadaji's life. The main purpose of these people, the "anti-Swadhyayees", was to usurp the control of the work. Once it was clear that this purpose would not be served, persons like Mr. Pankaj Trivedi set out to destroy the very work they were once a part of.Mr. Trivedi and a few others chose to engage in antagonistic activity and false accusations against Didiji and the Swadhyaya parivaar. They alleged that the Swadhyaya parivaar and Didiji asked for funds during the 2001 earthquake in Gujarat (a state in India). This is an entirely false statement. To begin with, Dadaji and Didiji have never solicited funds from anyone, directly or indirectly. They have also instilled this mentality in the entire Parivaar. In the aftermath of the earthquake in 2001, a total of 5058 houses were built through the efforts of 76 non-government organizations (NGOs). Of these, 4534 houses were built by the Swadhyaya Parivaar alone, according to a report by the United Nations Development
Board. In addition, accusations that have been leveled at the management of trust funds of Swadhyaya Parivaar are completely unfounded.

Further efforts to damage Swadhyaya work led a few anti-Swadhyayees to allege to the home ministry of India's central government in 2002 that "Swadhyaya is a terrorist activity". In response, the Indian government's intelligence bureau conducted a thorough investigation in Swadhyayee villages throughout India. This investigation revealed absolutely no basis
for this accusation.

Another facet of anti-Swadhyaya propaganda has included the repeated filing of police cases against many devoted Swadhayees over the last five years. Police investigations have found each and every one of these complaints to
be completely untrue and without merits.

The media has reported that Mr. Trivedi was a prominent Swadhyayee, that he donated 1.5 crore (15 million) rupees, and that Pujya Dadaji used to visit him at hishome often. All these reports are completely untrue. At the current time, it is the media's responsibility to report only the truth, instead of reporting and sensationalizing completely baseless allegations in an attempt to tarnish the image of Dadaji, Didiji, and Swadhyaya work. It is important to consider who benefits by misleading the police and by harassing the Swadhyaya Parivaar. In the end, it is society and devoted Swadhyayees who are hurt when attempts are made to tarnish the image of holy work such as Swadhyaya.

• Dadaji delegated the full responsibility of his work to Mrs. Talwalkar, affectionately known as "Didiji", which means "elder sister".