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NOT A SECRET SOCIETYinsists the regional head of the Grand (Masonic) Lodge of India, fielding

questions from Indrani Rajkhowa Banerjee on Freemasons, who, most think arecloaked in secrecy

Theres nothing about KK Gautams office in New Delhis busy Janpath area thatgives away his identity as the Regional Grand Master of the Grand Lodge ofIndia. Its a warm, sunny office, with a high chair, a few medallions, books andthe usual paraphernalia of any person of position a bit of a disappointment foranyone expecting to bump into skulls, chequered floors and mystic symbols.

Black And WhiteGautam, immaculately dressed in black and white the dress code for Masons

comes across as an open person fielding questions in a firm and friendlymanner. But a mind fed on pulp fiction questions his affable demeanour was ita camouflage for the diabolical secrets and satanic rituals so akin toFreemasonry? Sensational reports have fed the layman with gossip aboutFreemasonry. We are not a secret society. We are not a club. Freemasonry isone of the worlds ancient and secular fraternal organisations based on theprinciple of the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Man, he says,adding, We seek to make good men better and the world a better place to livein.

Is it then like the Lions or Rotary? In some respects it is similar, for instance, in

our charitable work. But, masonry can be distinguished from serviceorganisations by its emphasis on the traditional manner in which it passes on itsancient beliefs.

However, its hard to dismiss what critics, for centuries, have labeled aMachiavellian cult. If brotherhood and a better world are what theyre working for,then why have they been accused of having a secret alliance with Satan?Gautam thrusts these claims aside: In ancient times, masons gathered, afterwork, to relax and pass on technicalities of working tools and exchange tradesecrets. This they did as they moved from place to place. Today there are noactive masons; were all speculative members of the Freemasonry. Those days

they had to be elusive to guard trade secrets. But today, we have people from allwalks of life as Masons.

From shopkeepers to doctors, scientists, professors, stock brokers, real estatebuilders, even journalists, a Freemason can be anyone amongst us! Our presentGrand Master, Balaram Biswakumar, is a neurologist. A Mason has to nominateanother and the lodge has to clear the name after a thorough background checkand a vote.

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Practise Any FaithThe fraternity encourages its members to practise any religion without affiliatingitself to any faith. What attracts intellectuals and the affluent to a group thatpractises ancient rituals, uses masons tools and symbols in its teachings and

bars women from entering the guild? Freemasonry is the pursuit of light (Self-realisation) of the Absolute, which is the substratum of the universe, which aloneis real. Hence, the ultimate end is to lead us to the Supreme Being, and to bringus out of ourselves into harmony with it.

Freemasonry helps us attain this end by giving us a system of allegories andsymbols, and it acts out these allegories for us. The altar at our temple has fivevolumes of sacred laws the Bhagavad Gita, the Quran, the Bible, the GuruGranth Sahib and the Zend Avesta. People of all faiths are free to place theirsacred book at the altar.

Neither Skull Nor NooseGautam shows us the Book of Rituals, indicating the process by whichcandidates are initiated, passed and raised in the three degrees of Freemasonry.Nowhere does it say that we have to drink wine from skulls or a hangmansnoose is placed around his neck! There is nothing strange about our rituals.

The Internet abounds in such details during the initiation ceremony thecandidate is not allowed to carry any metal articles. He wears only his left shoe.His shirt is unbuttoned to reveal his left breast, his right sleeve is rolled up toreveal the elbow, his left trouser is rolled up above the knee and a slipper isplaced on his unshod foot; blindfolded, he is then taken into the temple.

More Metaphor Than RitualGautam replies, The blindfold is more of a metaphor than a ritual. It denotes thatthe new member is entering a new world, and hell see light once he enters.Nevertheless, they have numerous Masonic mysteries such as the secrethandshake (a Mason can identify another one anywhere in the world with thissecret handshake). Our secret codes are nothing but modes of recognition ofeach other.

The Freemasons Lodge at Janpath, has a state-of-the-art diagnostic centrewhich sees more than 400 patients every day and conducts more than 1,000diagnostic tests. Recently, they have started Jyotirgamya, a solar electrificationproject in 50 remote villages across the country.

Demystification has been taking place for sometime. Gautam is optimistic aboutthe inclusion of women into the fold. In ancient times, a woman mason wasunheard of. Therefore, there were no women when the masons gathered in theevenings. It soon became a tradition, which has been followed till date. Butchange is what the world strives for and we are no different.