Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], November 18 : The Ramakrishna Mission (RKM) in Shimla has strongly refuted claims of a dispute between its ashram there and the Brahmo Samaj, asserting that the recent incident involved encroachment attempts by the land mafia.
Addressing the media on Monday, Swami Tanmahimananda, Secretary of the Shimla Ramakrishna Mission Ashram, clarified that the 'Himalaya Brahmo Samaj,' the entity purportedly involved in the controversy, has no connection with the Brahmo Samaj founded in Kolkata.
"The Himalaya Brahmo Samaj is entirely independent and works in Himachal Pradesh. Its genuine trustees stand with the Ramakrishna Mission," he said.
The mission expressed disappointment with the state government and police administration, accusing them of negligence during the incident. According to Swami Tanmahimananda, when intruders entered the ashram, he made several calls to prominent officials, including Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Education Minister Rohit Thakur, Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh, and Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena. However, none of the calls were answered.
"We were forced to seek assistance from the Leader of the Opposition, Jairam Thakur after the state government failed to respond," he added.
The Secretary further accused the police administration of failing to take preventive action despite being informed of the brewing tension in advance. "We had notified the Shimla police about the potential threat, but they did not act. Their inaction allowed the intruders to enter the ashram, causing disruption and vandalism. The police also seem to be giving a political colour to the incident," he said, directly pointing fingers at the Shimla Superintendent of Police.
The controversy surrounding the ashram is rooted in a long-standing legal battle. Swami Tanmahimananda revealed that the land in question was lawfully transferred to the Ramakrishna Mission by the trustee of the Himalaya Brahmo Samaj in 2014 through a gift deed. However, he alleged that Vishal Sharma, a former gardener at the ashram, is the person orchestrating the chaos.
"Vishal Sharma, who was employed as a gardener at the ashram, fraudulently created a parallel trust in 2007 under the name Himalaya Brahmo Samaj. The matter reached the High Court, and in 2011, the court prohibited Sharma from using the name and logo of the Himalaya Brahmo Samaj," said Tanmahimananda. Despite the legal ruling, Sharma allegedly continues to create hurdles, and the matter remains sub-judice.
"Before me, two secretaries of the ashram died in suspicious conditions. The land mafia is active and they want to take over the position of the ashram and land around it. They can kill me anytime. I have a good relationship with SP but as far as the investigation is concerned, he is not supportive. The FIR on our complaint was not registered. However, there were seven security people at the ashram, but now there are only two policemen. We are Sanyasi; we don't need any pomp and show but we want safety and security," Tanmahimananda told ANI.
The mission also criticised the administration for not documenting the recent intrusion. "The individuals who entered the ashram and caused damage quietly left, but the administration failed to record the incident or take any action," the secretary alleged.
The Ramakrishna Mission has demanded that the Himachal Pradesh government and police take immediate and impartial action to prevent further encroachment attempts and address the growing political undertones in the case. "This is not just about land or institutions. This is about ensuring that the law prevails and that genuine organisations can work without fear or interference," said Swami Tanmahimananda in his concluding remarks.
Lalit Verma, a trustee of the Himalaya Brahmo Samaj, reiterated the Mission's stance, stating, "The Himalaya Brahmo Samaj is independent of the Kolkata Brahmo Samaj and has supported the Ramakrishna Mission in this matter. Matter on the possession of the property is pending in the Supreme Court of India, "said Lalit Verma.