Vishwesha Teertha: Principle above pragmatism, then and now, too

Swami Vishwesha Teertha is head of the Pejawar Math in Udupi

The emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi was a test of character. Thousands were put in jail. The suppression of freedom and constitutional rights was total. The press was under strict censorship. It was dangerous to venture an opinion that authority could interpret as seditious. In this atmosphere, anyone who stood up to Indira Gandhi and her colleagues as they assaulted the Indian constitution has to be a good guy.
 
Among all the politicians, activists and silent unknown supporters of democracy, one was unusual: Swami Vishwesha Teertha, head of the Pejawar Math in Udupi, tasked with upkeep of the famous