Shree Bhikshu Uttama
President of Hindumahasabha , Cawnpore Session 1935
“Bhikshu Uttama comes of a very respectable Buddhist family of Burma.
At the age of about 30 years Uttama became a Bhikshu, left the homely comforts, high standard of living and his beloved relations, and joined the army of Lord Buddha. He began to spend days and nights, months and years in worshipping Lord Buddha and in the propagation of the ideals and principles laid down by the revered Lord. Soon he became one of the fore- most leaders of Buddhism. He went to Europe, China, Japan and other foreign countries for preaching the gospel of Bhagwan Buddha. He is one of the great- est Buddhist missionaries.
He leads a very simple life and never thinks of any particular kind of meals. Generally he lives on fruits and milk. He finds pleasure in travelling in 3rd class.
It is not only in the sphere of religion in which Bhikshu Uttama became popular but even in the politi- cal sphere in Burma his position was unsurpassed and perhaps will ever remain A very interesting So. incident is told about the love and respect which the people of Burma have for their respectable leader.
Once Bhikshu Uttama was involved in a case. He used to go out to attend the Court. The ladies of Burma used to lay down on the road on both sides and used to spread their long hair to enable the Bhikshu to walk over them.
Bhikshu Uttama is a very learned man who knows Chinese, Japanese, English, Pali, Hindi, Bengali and many other languages.
He is deadly opposed to the caste system prevalent in the Hindu society. He wants the Hindus to give up the caste system if they want to live like a living. nation. Bhikshu Uttama also takes very keen interest in the upliftment of the depressed-classes.
Years back Bhikshu Uttama’s position was very high in the circle of Indiau National Congress. In Burma he was once a pillar of Congress Movement. He was even offered the Presidentship of the Cong- ress which on account of unavoidable circumstances he could not accept.
In the last movement against the separation of Burma it was only Bhikshu Uttama’s personality that could lead the great movement. He believed that Burma should not have been separated from India as both these countries are, as a matter of fact, one from religious and cultural point of view. The Government of Burma exterued him for a long time and he was not permitted to enter his dear country.
It was in these days of externment in Calcutta that he became interested in Hindu Sabha Movement. It was generally believed that Buddhism and Hindu- ism are two distinct religions; but Bhikshu Uttama’s accepting Presidentship of the Session of the all India Hindu Maha Sabha held at Cawnpore in April 1935 was a befitting reply to that wrong notion.
In his Presidential Address Bhikshu Uttama declar- ed that Bhagwan Buddha was one of the staunchest Hindus and that he never renounced Hindu Dharma. On the other hand he infused new blood in it and spread it in other distant countries. His election as Presi- dent of the Hindu Mahasabha was hailed not only in all quarters of India only but it was welcomed by Buddhist countries like China and Japan. A very large number of Buddhists even from China attended this Session of the Hindu Mahasabha. His Presidential Address, given before, shows how able he was to understand the political situation in India. As the President of the Hindu Mahasabha he toured the whole of the Punjab, the United Provinces, Bengal, Maharashtra and other provinces. He remained as a Vice-President of the Hindu Maha Sabha for a number of years. His one aim of life is to see the Hindus and Buddhists united together and thus to revive the Vishni Arya Dharma once again.”
source : History of Hindumahasabha (PDF Available on Savarkar.org )