0.16 Satsang (company of true people)  (Page 2/2)

Ram Charit Manas, an epic by Tulsi Das, is a narration of story of Ram and is at the heart of Hindu belief. Murari bapu, a religious scholar from Gujarat, is the ultimate interpreter of this epic, knowing every verse with thousands of anecdote and deeper meanings. His interpretations are poetic in delivery and carries a sense of detachment from the affairs of state. His recent discourses on Ram Charit Manas from the establishment of Ram Dev Baba appears to indicate his endorsement for the social activism undertaken by Baba Ram Deo. Sudhanshu Ji Maharaj, another popular Guru, is pragmatism personified and indulged in building places for aged persons and homeless children. As a matter of fact, there are many other Gurus with following of their own, who are indulging in social activities of various nature. Notwithstanding the allegations of wealth accumulation made against some of them, the Gurus are at the forefront of social awakening and are more effective communicator than any of their political counterpart.

Gurus represented a significant change in the interpretation of Hindu belief, which is generally confined to vedic rituals and worship of numerous incarnations of God sometimes bordering dogmatic practices. Gurus generally tried to underplay references to caste division as depicted in religious books while explaining the origin of this concept. The caste system is an offshoot of economic considerations rather than religious thinking. The system, originally, divided people based on occupation rendering a whole class of people at great disadvantage. Over the years, however, the system, slowly took up the form of well ingrained social divisions rather than a working arrangement.

Till recently, most of religious Gurus taking up new role of social awakening refrained from identifying themselves with political outfit. However, there is a palpable disconcert in the political circle as national political space is essentially divided in two parallel religious groups led by (i) Congress riding the bandwagon of secularism and (ii) Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) riding the bandwagon of Hindutwa. It may be emphasized that secularism professed to be a non-religious concept is essentially used to garner support of minorities and is, therefore, very much religious as far as final outcome is concerned. In this context, there is always a danger that the social works of the Gurus might be seen (or alleged) to be an extension of political grouping. The political establishments have been closely scrutinizing social and political activism on the part of religious Gurus. The activism on the part of Ram Deo Baba is particularly under the scanner for determining its true political color.

However, the deep division of political space on religious lines has thankfully been blurring a bit in recent times. Two of the progressive Chief Ministers of Indian states, Narendra Modi of Gujarat and Nitesh Kumar of Bihar have made considerable inroads into this divide sending alerts to the existing power establishment. Narendra Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat, is alleged to be a Hindu hawk and behind 2002 Hindu-Muslim riots in Gujarat. In recent time, he has tried to mend his posturing to the extent that he is eager to even embrace muslim cause. Barely days after taking over as Vice-Chancellor of Darul uloom seminary in Deoband, Maulana Ghulam Mohammed Vastanvi, had created a storm with his certificate for Narendra Modi's rule and his appeal that Muslims should move on from the 2002 riots in Gujarat. Of course the scholar had to retract his statement under pressure from minority groups. In a media reporting, Mohammad Hussain, an electorate in Khanpur area in Ahmedabad, summed up the sentiment of some muslims accepting Modi’s rule, "Jo hua, accha hua (Whatever happened has happened for the good). We have forgotten the past and moved ahead. We hope Modi too forgets the past and does some good for the Muslim community." Similarly, Nitesh Kumar, Chief Minister of Bihar, riding the secular bandwagon has alliance with so called non-secular Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) but has succeeded in mustering considerable transition in voting pattern of muslims in his favor despite BJP being its coalition partner.

In particular, the un-touch-ability of Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) by secular parties has long been rejected by most of political parties. Secular parties are now not very averse of joining hands with BJP as they are still being able to garner muslim votes. On its part, Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) is now not loosing opportunities to extend an understanding hand to the minorities. The policy of hawkish posturing adopted during Babri Masjit demolition phase has been discarded completely to have a facelift and have nation-wide appeal cutting across religious divide.