Quoting Swami

Once Rakhal Chandra Ghosh ( who later became Swami Brahmananda) was crossing river to meet Ramakrishna. Boat man used very hards words for Ramakrishna. Rakhal was pained by his words but kept quite. That day Ramkrishna chided Rakhal for not telling even a word in favour his Guru. Narendra nath Datta ( who later became Swami Vivekananda) was also listening to it. after few days when he was crossing the river the boatman again started talking rubbish about Ramakrishna. Narendra caught hold of boatman and threatened to throw him in the river if he did not stop his nonsense. Boatman was petrified seeing the muscular man speaking like that. Unfortunately Narendra was also rebuked by Ramakrishna for being to harsh to people who oppose.
It is very difficult to understand the ways of divine people. Quoting them to support their logic should be avoided at any cost.
Why did I say narrate this? I narrated this because I saw a wire post which read.
Swami's take on Ayodhya issue (in the year 1993) to BJP, VHP, RSS leaders in Parthi "Lord Rama's Janmabhumi is Mother Kaushalya's womb"

That was not only in 1993 but latter too Swami seems to have said that. Beasue I joined later and I have heard it myself. Swami told this In discourse. One of the leader had asked Swami “ Swami! if you say that the place we are fighting is not the birthplace of the Lord Ram we will give up claim.” What a golden opportunity for the controversy to die. But Swami told that Mother Kaushalya’s womb is the birthplace of Ram.
Now people will make meaning from it. Swami did not support or oppose the opinion that Ram was born in that place or not. But people will not miss a chance to give meaning to it.
What I understood is that the controversy and time was not worth intervention. That is a man mad controversy and should be resolved by them.

I remember one boy was giving speech during morning prayer session and he too quoted this. I could understand his tone. I have seen people becoming very subjective while discussing.
How about another quote from Swami
“There was a time every villager revered temples now to get one temple built one has to fight so much.”
That day another guests had arrived.
I did not understand the inclusion of words like to BJP, VHP and RSS leader. Even without those words Swami’s take would have had similar effect. But then, I have got used to the tone and adjectives used while listening to this combination of words.
We have been taught to see the world in black and white. What happens to grey? They can be termed black and white depending on the viewers. Unfortunately, most of the world is grey colour. That leaves great freedom to paint anybody in any colour. The problem is as stated by a scholar, which Today I happen to read a quote.
Most human beings have an almost infinite capacity for taking things for granted.
- Aldous Huxley

I remember a song which was taught to us
Yah matribhumi meri…,
It still resonates once in while in my memory lane. That was song which one of the leader sang in front of Swami and Swami had liked it. he told students to learn and sing during next Gurupurnima. How many of our brothers will feel uncomfortable in knowing that the song is one from the RSS shakha collection.
What I want to say is that when there is controversy we should not quote Swami to support our logic. Somebody who might have read more might quote Swami in opposition too.

We have specific task with this site. And I think we should limit ourselves to that. The lakshman rekha should not be crossed. I am part of another email group. There too I have seen that slowly the line starts getting blurred and it vanishes at one point of time. Humor changed to jokes and jokes metamorphose into stereotypes. But with time, everything looks justified. There was one boy who constantly opposed such transgression of limit. People may not have liked his words but I developed appreciation for it.
Another thing which we have been told to avoid is politics. I don’t think that means that one should not have interest in politics. We are free to have our opinion, after all, many of us go for voting for particular candidate and parties, when election arrives. Similar other issues should also be avoided.
Most of us regularly go through newspapers and channels. Many of us hardly realize that without any exception all of them have bias in their reporting. News should be taken with pinch of salt. Thank God our message board is not oscillating as per the tide of news appearing in the newspaper and channels.
While I used word like avoid. I am not for, which is more from outside, and rather for self restriction. Even that is not as dangerous as quoting Swami in that matter. I have learnt from Swami that the reply to such controversies is not to involve into that but let taking attention away from it. When the question was asked to Swami He took the attention away from it. he did not answer in favor and nor in opposition.