The monk who got lynched Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami: The spiritual scientist and the warrior

Thoudam Damodar was born in Toubul, part of the Bishnupur district, Manipur, India, on 9 December 1937. Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Swami Maharaja (9 December 1937 – 2 October 2006), also known as Dr. Thoudam Damodara Singh, was a Gaudiya Vaishnava spiritual leader, scientist, writer and poet. In 1971 he received spiritual initiation from A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

A few years later he became one of the religious leaders of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (also known as the Hare Krishna Movement).

Contributions

For more than thirty years he was the international director of the Bhakti Vedanta Institute which promotes the study of the relationship between science and Vedanta. He authored and edited several books and organized a number of significant conferences and world congresses around the world where a number of prominent scientists and religious leaders including several Nobel Laureates participated and was the Editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Bhaktivedanta Institute entitled, Savijnanam: Scientific Exploration for a Spiritual Paradigm.

Cultural projects for the locals

Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Goswami Maharaja started a network of schools in Northeastern India where more than 4000 students receive education centered on Vaishnava spiritual values. In 1989 he founded "Ranganiketan Manipuri Cultural Arts Troupe" which has approximately 600 performances at over 300 venues in over 15 countries. Their performances both at home and abroad received acclaim and awards.

A Threat to Christian missionaries and militants

Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Goswami Maharaja was vigorously spreading his preaching activities in the Northeast which was already been a stronghold of many Christian missionaries. The missionaries had a single agenda to convert the local tribal people and make them hate their original religion. But Bhaktisvarupa Maharaj’s entry into Northeast was a direct challenge to their missionary activities. The local militants and the missionary worked together in the northeast belt to fulfill their vested interest.

Janmashtami celebration and the bombing

Over a thousand worshippers were celebrating Janmashtami, the most sacred observance of the year for devotees of Krishna, at a temple in the state of Manipur, in the northeast region of India. Militant took this festive celebration as a perfect time to attack. In the celebrations, many important guests including Bhaktisvarupa Damodara Goswami Maharaja himself was there which was a jackpot for the militants. A grenade was thrown killing many people including children. Damodara Maharaj was injured in the attack but later died due to injuries. As usual media and the local govt. did not mention the group behind this attack and considered it as a local militant attack.

The history has been a witness that whenever any Hindu monk tried to challenge the missionary’s bastion, they were either attacked or persecuted. Failure is the system that protected such culprits.

After going through many case studies one thing has been clear that missionaries have always used the cruelest means to stop the propagation of Sanatana Dharma.