Swami Aksharananda, the ubiquitous, indefatigable Hindu monk

Jan 24, 2025 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Swami Aksharananda, the ubiquitous, indefatigable Hindu monk from Guyana received on January 10, 2025, the Pravasi Samman Award, the highest that India hands out to any individual or organisation from the Diaspora.

In this case, it was Saraswati Vidya Niketan, (SVN) the school founded by Swami that was recognised for its contribution to education and culture.  Both the event and the timing are of tremendous significance and connect us with this most ancient culture.

Pictures shared by Parbattie Bisram show both President Droupadi Murmu and Swami bowing to each other with hands clasped in the traditional manner.  It would be interesting to know how many Hindus in the West still greet each other this way. It is only one example of how far we have strayed from the ways of our fore parents.

It is also the time for the festival of Maha Kumbh Mela an extraordinary event held every 144 years at the holiest of locations, Prayagraj, the confluence of three sacred rivers Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati.

An island within a nation

The academic achievements of this “model school” as recognised by many Ministers and Heads of State are well known throughout Guyana and the Caribbean. What few may not recognise is how this piece of land within the country can teach government and people about nation building.  The structure itself took many years to be completed as contributions were sought from many donors not only inside Guyana but also in Canada and USA and further afield. Students and teachers come from every religion and while they may be exposed to Sanskrit prayers and some aspects of a Vedic lifestyle, upon graduation they leave without being asked to change their religion. This is much different from the days of Conversion, a policy of Colonialism based upon presumed religious and cultural supremacy.

Even our first nations attend and excel at SVN.  Readers may recall the rare coincidence of Amerindian twins from St. Cuthbert’s Mission achieving identical results in their examinations in the same year.

A learning environment

Throughout Guyana and especially in the towns and the capital, Georgetown, the sight and stench of garbage is quite obvious. Contrast this with the premises of SVN and one would think they are in another country. The grounds are immaculate, the washrooms and surroundings are kept tidy by the students themselves. They can teach adults how to continue to pick up the garbage.

Efforts by community leaders and a handful of volunteers are quickly nullified by the old habits of disposing of garbage anywhere. Beaches like Leonora once an area for picnics and cricket are now a sea of bottles and plastic. Bartica, also the site for regatta, appears to be cleaned up only for that annual activity.  The improved beach at Canefield, Leguan has the potential to be a popular site for tourism but first those broken beer bottles and rubbish have to be removed from the sand that one day may be as attractive as any in the Caribbean.

Take a regular taxi or mini bus to the school, ask the driver to turn off or even turn down the music and even the rest of the passengers would object. Silence seems to make them uncomfortable.

Contrast this with SVN compound, a space of bliss and serenity, and one feels rescued from the noise some call music.  PM Narendra Modi must have thought he was in Bharat when he visited this unique school. His positive impressions may have had something to do with the award.

The cornerstone of this peaceful environment most conducive of learning is the strict discipline expected of both teachers and students.

It is also the institution that contributes annually to the nation’s blood bank. This is the best form of giving as the donors do not know who benefits from their generosity.

Government assistance

The teachers are well qualified but are dedicated to the goal of excellence in the little humans who pass through their hands. Several are former students and work longer hours than other teachers, yet carry on their normal lives. Current principal is Nirmala Singh, one of the first batch of students, a mother of three who has played a key role in guiding teachers and students in living up to the high standard that was established since the institution opened its doors in 2003 with only a handful of students. Today that number exceeds 500.

Since this is a private institution, school fees are the only means to meet the expenses a substantial part of which is teachers’ salaries. In order for this school to continue to serve the nation by producing fertile minds the day may come when Government may have to pay the salaries of the teachers so parents do not have to meet this additional burden. Govt. has already included private schools in handing out educational cash grants. Students also benefit from several scholarships the latest being one dedicated to the cultural icon, the late Mohan Nandu but expenses increase annually.

It is noted that in nearby Trinidad all salaries of teachers of private schools are met by the State.

If there are going to be significant changes in the behaviour of the citizens especially with regards to cultural knowledge and how to lead a pollution free life many more such institutions will be necessary. Each region should have at least one.

Many Hindus have achieved material success in this land and abroad.  They now know more about the principles of Sanatan Dharma popularly known as Hinduism and the contribution that Vedic values can make to Guyana, and how the next generation can benefit from a cultural education.  The oil and gas funds may finance gigantic, beautiful buildings, highways and other developmental projects, but the country will always need dedicated teachers who will remain home to share with future generations the values of cultural knowledge.

They can nourish the minds of the young by sharing some of the wisdom that shaped the world’s oldest enduring civilization i.e. Bharat that is India.  The festival of Maha Kumbh Mela which anticipates attendance of over four hundred and fifty million devotees this year, over a 44-day period, is the largest gathering of humans on the planet. It should certainly impress the most sceptical of those who are now delving into the history of this spiritual Empire.

The challenge in Guyana is to find or mould a few more dedicated, fearless Aksharanandas for the nation that received about 238,909 Indentured Servants from India. Since 1838, it has only produced one home grown leader of his calibre so far.

Regards,

Ramnarine Sahadeo

(Swami Aksharananda, the ubiquitous, indefatigable Hindu monk)

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• Guyana, Hindu monk, India, Pravasi Samman Award, Saraswati Vidya Niketan

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