Excerpt from, “ The Chronicles of Kashmir.” by Sh. Balkrishan Sanyasi; Biography of Pandit A N Vaishnavi
From Lal Chowk to Lockup
In June 1975, a political earthquake shook the very foundations of Indian democracy. The Allahabad High Court had found Prime Minister Indira Gandhi guilty of electoral malpractice. Faced with growing political opposition and a crisis of legitimacy, she advised the President to declare a nationwide Emergency. What followed was one of the darkest chapters in India’s democratic history—press censorship, suspension of civil liberties, and the arrest of thousands of opposition leaders and activists. Among them was Pandit Amarnath Vaishnavi, a teacher, spiritual seeker, and one of the most revered figures of the Kashmiri Hindu community.
Arrest at Midnight: The Resistance Begins
On the night of June 21, 1975, a knock on the door of Pandit Amarnath Vaishnavi’s home in Srinagar echoed what was unfolding across India—mass arrests of political dissidents. Alongside Shri Hriday Nath Bhat and Shri Pushkar Nath Kernail, he was taken into custody, accused of mobilizing against the increasingly autocratic government.
The Lok Sangharsh Samiti, led by Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan, had been rallying citizens for Satyagraha—peaceful resistance in the Gandhian tradition. Even while on parole later that year, Amarnath Ji quietly planned a major protest in Srinagar’s iconic Lal Chowk, which culminated in the arrest of several prominent leaders, including Shri Tika Lal Taploo, Shri Madan Lal Khushu, and Shri Shiban Krishan Pandita.
The very night of this protest, police came searching for Amarnath Ji again. He narrowly escaped arrest by slipping into a neighbour’s home. Even though police had a brish against him, yet he slipped away. True to his principles, he surrendered the next day at Central Jail, at the ned of his parole period—an act of quiet courage that defined his entire life.
A Life of Dignity Behind Bars
In jail, separate kitchens were arranged for Hindu and Muslim detainees—a rare gesture of respect for religious sensibilities. Amarnath Ji was housed in a spacious room with a hall, bedroom, kitchen, and a TV. Always in love with nature, he decorated the room with Chinar leaves, recreating a bit of Kashmir within the prison walls.
Every morning, clad in all white, he jogged around the compound—100 laps a day. His disciplined demeanor led the CRPF jawans to salute him, mistaking him for an army officer. From his window, he gazed at Hari Parvat, where the Sharika Devi temple stood, and the sound of the evening Aarti became his spiritual anchor.
Meals were cooked by two army men, including Trivedi, a learned man with a passion for Sanskrit and Hindi. Amarnath Ji made it a point to share food sent by his family equally with all detainees—including the cooks. When questioned, he simply said, “They serve us. It is a debt. Better to repay it in this lifetime than carry it into the next.”
His philosophy of selfless service earned him deep respect, even among ideological rivals like communists and Jamaat-e-Islami members. One communist inmate, known for his harsh language and addictions, was gently counselled by Amarnath Ji to reform. By the time he left jail, he had resumed wearing his Janeu, stopped smoking and drinking, and began chanting the Gayatri Mantra—a spiritual rebirth attributed entirely to Amarnath Ji’s influence.
Moments of Culture and Compassion
Discussions about Kalidas and Shakespeare were common in the barracks, with cook Trivedi often surprising everyone by reciting Meghdoot with poetic flair. When Trivedi was once punished severely for a minor infraction, Amarnath Ji and others refused to eat until he was released and reinstated—demonstrating their shared sense of justice even behind bars.
Such camaraderie extended to birthdays too. When a young detainee wept silently on his birthday, missing the pooja at home, Amarnath Ji conducted a sacred ritual for him, prepared yellow rice, dum aloo, and paneer—transforming prison into a place of warmth and dignity. It became a tradition: every inmate’s birthday was now a shared celebration.
When Janmashtami arrived—two days before Amarnath Ji’s own birthday—the jail superintendent brought a bouquet. That night, the bouquet was worshipped as Krishna’s murti, and the cell glowed with spiritual devotion. This reverence for life and the divine, even within a jail, exemplified the moral fiber of the man.
A Silent Prayer, A Divine Vision
As others were released and despair crept into the jail, Amarnath Ji turned to Goddess Sharika—his family deity and guardian of Hari Parvat. He took a Maun Vrata, a vow of silence, lying under his blanket for a full day. In the evening, he walked out, eyes fixed on the mountaintop temple, praying silently for all.
Suddenly, he had a vision of Gurudev M.S. Golwalkar, who appeared smiling and radiant. “No need to keep the silence anymore. You’ll all be released soon,” he said. Buoyed by this vision, Amarnath Ji told his fellow inmates, “Gurudev has spoken. Our time is near.”
Indeed, many were released soon after. Amarnath Ji himself remained a little longer—a final test of patience—but his hope was alive.
The Master Ji Who Transcended Barriers
News of his arrest spread quickly. Students—mostly from local Muslim families—climbed Hari Parvat just to glimpse their beloved Master Ji during his morning jog. “Master Ji, salaam!” they called out. Later, they came to the jail gates with baskets of apples, demanding to meet him. When authorities hesitated, they raised their voices, refusing to leave until they saw him. Their loyalty broke down prison walls.
He shared those apples with inmates and guards alike. When asked about the contradiction of being loved by Muslims while being an RSS member, he said, “RSS taught me to love my country—and everyone in it.”
After his release, he returned to his school, where students erupted with joy, carrying him on their shoulders in triumph. The Muslim staff stood by him when a hesitant headmaster questioned his rejoining. A Muslim clerk wrote in his service record: “No one can replace him. We suffered without him.” That endorsement was enough to silence all doubt.
A Legacy of Courage and Compassion
In the 1996 parliamentary elections, despite not campaigning, Amarnath Ji secured over 21,000 Muslim votes from Srinagar and Badgam without campaigning—a testament to the trust and love he had earned across religious and political lines.
Pandit Amarnath Vaishnavi was more than a Social activist. He was a teacher of the soul, a resister of tyranny, and a healer of hearts. Even behind bars, he lived by the values he taught—discipline, dignity, devotion, and above all, unity. In a time of darkness, he remained a beacon of light—not through rebellion, but through unshakeable inner strength.
Amarnath Vaishnavi Foundation 