Amity between Grand Lodge of India and the Parent Grand Lodges.

Prior to the founding of the Grand Lodge of India, Lodges under the United Grand Lodge of England, Grand Lodges of Scotland and Ireland were functioning in India. After the Independence, the brethren in India desired to have a separate Grand Lodge of India. The  United Grand Lodge of England constituted a Committee

 to work out the modalities. The report of the said Committee was accepted and the existing Lodges were given the option either to join the New Grand Lodge or opt to continue under their respective Grand Lodges. 145 Lodges elected to join the Grand Lodge of India.

United Grand Lodge of England, Grand Lodges of Scotland and Ireland, hereinafter referred to as the Parent Grand Lodges had agreed to consecrate the New Grand Lodge. The 145 Lodges that had opted for joining

the Grand Lodge of India constituted the Foundation Lodges of the Grand Lodge of India. M.W.Grand Master Mason of the Grand Lodge of Scotland consecrated and R.W.Dy.Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland constituted the Grand Lodge of India on 24-11-1961. R.W. Dy.Grand Master of the United Grand Lodge of England installed Major General His Highness Sir Raza Ali Khan, Nawab of Rampur as the first M.W.Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of India.

Concordat was entered into between the Parent Grand Lodges and the Grand Lodge of India in November 1961. Amity and cordial relationship continued for a long time.

Slowly some frictions developed and Grand Lodge of India amended its Book of Constitutions in 1992 incorporating restrictions on dual membership. The Parent Grand Lodges took exception to those amendments and the Grand Lodge of India asserted that being a sovereign Grand Lodge it can amend its Book of Constitutions and no other Grand Lodge is entitled to object to its rule making power. Unfortunately, the Parent Grand Lodges withdrew recognition, even though Grand Lodge of India had by that time been recognized by and was in amity with a little more than 130 Grand Lodges.

Many brethren throughout the world had requested us to post a write up about the factors and circumstances leading to withdrawal of recognition and amity by the Parent Grand Lodges. We did not comply with their requests, as negotiations for restoration of amity were in progress and as we felt that any such write up may kindle passions and jeopardize the negotiations.

After prolonged negotiations finally amity has been restored. United Grand Lodge of England restored amity at its Grand Lodge Meeting on 11 th December 2002, Grand Lodges of  Scotland and Ireland have also restored amity with Grand Lodge of India on 10 th June 2004 and 26 th August 2003 respectively.

We are now happy to inform all the brethren the happy restoration of amity between the Parent Grand Lodges and the Grand Lodge of India. The following are the various aspects of the final agreement between the Parent Grand Lodges and the Grand Lodge of India.

• Amity was restored between United Grand Lodge of England and Grand Lodge of India on 11 th December 2002. Grand Lodges of Ireland and  Scotland  restored amity with  Grand Lodge of India on 26 th August 2003 and 10 th  June 2004, respectively.
• The Parent Grand Lodges have all affirmed the term in the Concordat that, they will not consecrate any new Lodges in India without the express concurrence of the Grand Lodge of India.
• The Parent Grand Lodges were however empowered to shift the location of their existing Lodges.
• United Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Lodge of Ireland have agreed that such of the brethren of the Lodges under their jurisdictions, who were members of any lodge under the Grand Lodge of India on July 31 st 1992, will be permitted to apply for membership of any Lodge under the Grand Lodge of India on or before the 11 th December 2003 and 26 th August 2004 respectively and also retain their membership of the Lodges in the respective jurisdictions.
• The Grand Lodge of Scotland has similarly agreed to its members, who were also members of any Lodge under the Grand Lodge of India on May 6 th 1993 to seek membership of any Lodge under the Grand Lodge of India on or before June 10 th 2005 and also retain their membership of the Lodges under its jurisdiction.
• Likewise, Grand Lodge of India has agreed to its members, who were also members of any Lodge under the United Grand Lodge of England and the Grand Lodge of Ireland on July 31 st 1992, and the Grand Lodge of Scotland on May  6 th  1993, respectively to apply for joining Lodges under those respective jurisdictions and to continue the membership of the Lodges under the Grand Lodge of India.
• Parent Grand Lodges and the Grand Lodge of India have agreed that other brethren in the Lodges under their respective jurisdictions will be permitted to join the Lodges in India under the other jurisdictions only after resigning their membership in their present Lodges.
• Parent Grand Lodges have agreed not to recognize any other Grand Lodge in India, not recognized by the Grand Lodge of India.
• Parent Grand Lodges and Grand Lodge of India have agreed to inter visitation of the Lodges between the Lodges of the two jurisdictions according to the usual customs and relevant rules.
• The Concordat has been affirmed by Parent Grand Lodges and Grand Lodge of India in other respects.

Amity and cordiality having thus been restored, Grand Lodge of India and the Parent Grand Lodges can function in a spirit of Universal Brotherhood. The happy effects of the amity were immediately felt on 15 th November 2003, when  the  R.W.Assistant Grand Master and the R.W. Grand Secretary of the United Grand Lodge of England graced the Grand Festival of the Grand Lodge of India at Bangalore, when the present  M.W.Grand Master M.W.Bro. Arun Chinthopanth was installed. It is hoped that this cordiality and amity will continue long .